19th February 2025
By the time Miyu was a year old, she’d given birth to two separate litters… nine in total.
Barely more than a kitten herself by the time she was brought into Cats Protection’s care, she had already delivered two healthy kittens just months earlier and was pregnant once again.
This time her seven kittens were all born safely and found loving new homes, thanks to the charity’s care.
Miyu’s experience is an example of why on World Spay Day (25 February), a number of animal charities working together under the umbrella Cat-Kind1 is encouraging owners to neuter their cats at four months as cats can get pregnant as young as this.
“Research shows that 80% of litters are unplanned and kittens like Miyu’s, born accidentally, often end up in charity care or living a vulnerable life on the streets,” said Sarah Elliott, Central Veterinary Officer at Cats Protection. “Like many, Miyu’s owner wasn’t aware that that female cats can get pregnant that young and the cost and care required can quickly spiral out of control.”
According to Cat-Kind, neutering is a simple procedure with lots of benefits as it helps stop unwanted kittens and reduces the risk of disease.
The group highlights studies which show that neutering kittens at four months does not increase surgical risks in the short term and can be better for them than waiting until they’re older.
This is because younger kittens have smaller, more elastic blood vessels and less abdominal fat, which makes surgery easier and safer. The ovaries are also easier to identify, allowing for smaller incisions, which means quicker healing and fewer complications.
According to Cats Protection, there are 1.4 million unneutered cats in the UK and last year the charity spent £13.4m on neutering to reduce overpopulation, putting extra strain on charities’ limited resources.
Meanwhile the RSPCA has seen a 14% increase in the number of cats coming into its care over the last two years – rising from 4,696 in 2022, to 5,322 in 2023, and up again to 5,364 in 2024.
Cat welfare expert at the RSPCA Alice Potter said: “We all love cats and neutering them at four months old is the best way to avoid unplanned litters of kittens and to keep your cat happy and healthy. It’s a vital way to improve cat welfare and ease this strain on rescue centres.”
Those interested in finding local accredited vets who support early neutering can search on the database.
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For further information or an interview, please contact Cats Protection Media Office on 01825 741 911, at media.office@cats.org.uk, or @CPMediaTeam on X.