If a Female Cat Is Spayed Will Male Cats Still Come Around?

Unfixed cats can reproduce in a big way -- think litters of several kittens, several times a year -- uh oh. If you get a female cat spayed, however, all of that can stop on a dime, at least on her end. Not only are spayed felines physically incapable of becoming pregnant, they don't even attract male cats in the first place.

  1. About Spaying

    • Spaying surgery in female cats involves the elimination of the uterus and ovaries. Without these organs, female cats cannot get pregnant. It's commonplace for veterinarians to perform spaying on young cats right before they get to the age of reproductive maturity -- perhaps around 6 months. If your cat isn't already fixed, speak to a veterinarian regarding the most suitable time for her. No two cats are exactly the same, and all have their own individual considerations.

    No Heat Cycle = No Attracting Tomcats

    • Female cats who aren't spayed inevitably go into heat cycles on a regular basis. When they're in heat, they draw in male cats through a variety of different and often persistent behaviors, such as howling, wandering around the neighborhood and spraying urine. The heat cycle usually lasts for roughly a week -- plenty of time to attract all of the nearby tomcats. Cats in the middle of their heat cycles also frequently act in uncharacteristic antsy and easily annoyed ways.

    Same Overall Temperament

    • Spaying a female cat definitely prevents her from luring in every boy cat on the block, but it doesn't alter her overall temperament. If you're concerned that your lovable and friendly kitty will somehow not seem like herself anywhere, you can put that fear to rest. The only difference you'll notice is that she'll no longer routinely go into heat and display all of the fidgety, noisy and nervous patterns associated with it -- phew.

    Male Cats and Neutering

    • Neutering a male has a similar effect as spaying a female. If you get your male cat neutered, then he'll no longer be compelled -- by his hormones -- to go and seek out local females in heat. This stops a lot of hazardous or frustrating patterns, including attempts to break out of your home to find mating partners, urine spraying to communicate with females and fierce, truculent behavior.