How Spaying and Neutering Help Cat Kids and the Planet

If you want to raise a healthy cat kid — and avoid raising their numerous potential offspring — it’s best to spay or neuter them. It’s also an eco-friendly practice that has a positive impact on the earth. Read on to learn more about how spaying and neutering help your pet and the planet.

The impact on the environment

According to Fetch by WebMD, dogs reproduce 15 times as fast as humans ... and cats reproduce 45 times as fast. Those are a lot of cat kids, some of whom end up at already overcrowded animal shelters. Some animal welfare organizations have adopted Trap-Neuter-Release, a program that includes live-trapping unhoused cats, transferring them to a vet for spaying or neutering and sometimes vaccinating, then returning them to their communities. Those that are sociable, such as kittens and friendly adult cats, may be placed for adoption. Spaying and neutering are sustainable practices that help tackle overpopulation and lessen the eco-unfriendly effects stray or feral cat kids can have on the outdoors. These can include hunting wildlife in a way that could potentially disrupt the ecosystem as well as possibly spreading diseases to other animals and people.

The impact at home

Incessant scratching. Aggressive fighting. Spraying and marking. Cat kids who haven’t been spayed or neutered may exhibit these behaviors, making home life more stressful — and messier — than it needs to be. Spaying and neutering can definitely make pet parenthood more sustainable. Most of all, these procedures have a positive effect on the health of cat kids — they help reduce certain cancers and even increase life expectancy. Because cat kids who’ve been spayed or neutered have a diminished urge to roam, they should get plenty of exercise so they maintain a healthy weight. You can set aside playtime every day or head outside with them on a secure harness and leash for safe walks around the neighborhood.

The impact on animal shelters

The Humane Society estimates that 3.2 million cats make their way into animal shelters and rescues in the U.S. every year. For some regions of the country, 50%–75% of the shelter population is cats. Spaying and neutering help reduce overcrowding at animal shelters and make adoptions more manageable. Before shelter cat kids are adopted, they’re almost always spayed and neutered to help decrease overpopulation and boost their overall health and longevity — which sustainably benefits pets and the planet.

Naturally Fresh partners with animal shelters and rescues to aid in adoptions, helping cat kids find loving homes with dedicated pet parents. We also donate our eco-friendly cat litter to animal shelters and rescues throughout the year. Since it’s the best cat litter for odor control, the best low-dust cat litter, and a low-tracking cat litter, it’s ideal for multi-cat litter boxes — and a tangible way to thank shelters for all the work they do for cat kids everywhere.