I cannot repeat myself enough when it comes to urging people to “fix” their pets. It is definitely feline mating season out there, considering the fighting I’ve been hearing at night and the tomcat smells at my front door in the morning. There is no time like the present to make that spay/neuter appointment you’ve been procrastinating about.

Here are 12 good reasons why:

Neutered males…

1. …are less likely to run away from home. An intact male in search of a mate will do just about anything to get to one, even wander miles!

2. …are less likely to fight, avoiding injury to themselves and thus avoiding high veterinary bills for their owners.

3. … are less distracted by sexual instincts and become easier to train.

4. …reduces or eliminates the problem of spray-marking. Male cats spray both inside and outside the house; a most unpleasant and unmistakable odor.

5. …are less likely to suffer infections or disorders in the prepuce or prostate glands.

Spayed females…

6. …are less bothersome to their owners. Females in heat yowl and exhibit anxious behavior. They typically go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. Spaying eliminates this problem.

7. … won’t attract noisy, fighting and bothersome males.

8. …are less likely to develop breast cancer or pyometra (a common uterine infection in unspayed females).

9. …eat less. Pregnant and nursing females eat more. Kittens are expensive to feed.

10. …have no need to bear one litter before spaying. In fact, females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Fostering for your local cat rescue group or shelter allows children to watch newborn kittens grow into healthy, happy pets, and teaches your child that animals’ lives have value.

Spay/neuter in general…

11. …is good for the community. Our shelters and foster programs are overflowing, and there are thousands of ferals that are still out there breeding.

12. …eliminates thousands of unwanted kittens. Approximately every 4 seconds, one animal is killed because no one wants it. There is simply no excuse for allowing pets to breed.

For a baker’s dozen, let me add one more reason, it’s the neighborly thing to do. Nothing like causing bad blood in the neighborhood if your “Bruiser” is guilty of marking his territory on the house next door or “Fluffy” has a litter of kittens in their backyard.

Be good to your pets, be good to your neighbors, be good to your wallet. Sounds like a triple win to me.