Spaying Strays: Will it Inhibit their ability to survive?

We live in a wooded area, and I'm pretty sure there is a feral cat colony nearby. In the five years we have lived here, we have found a homeless cat every year, and this time we're already on #2 for the year. We have five cats of our own, so we can't take in any more, and there are no cat shelters in the area that have room to take them (our Humane Society is no-kill, which I am very supportive of, but there are no other shelters to bring in animals short of waiting on a very long waiting list).

The newest arrival is female, and I want to have her spayed before she gets pregnant, but I am worried about spaying her and then leaving her to live out in the wild. Will spaying hinder her ability to survive out there? We are feeding her through the winter, but never feed them in the spring/summer because we don't want to lure in the whole hoarde. I feel like I'm trying to put out a fire with a thimble...there are so many poor homeless kitties out there...

IT will actually help her - unspayed cats are at risk of pymotra, which can be fatal if not picked up on in time - basically the womb fills with pus, and the only cure is spaying, but very risky when they have pyo, as the pus can enter the abdomen. There is also the risk later in life of mammary, uterine and ovarian cancers, as well as the risk of abscesses, FIV and FeLV through mating.

Possibly an argument could be made that neutering a tom might decrease his chances of survival....I haven't seen that personally; it seems to make them get along better, but I have heard that argument. However, for females it can only benefit them. They don't have to find the extra calories needed for pregnancy/nursing/feeding babies, they don't get chewed up by toms, etc. Much better for them.

Yipes! Those are a lot of diseases I've never heard of! This kitty is becoming very friendly, so I think if I can build up her trust in me, I can capture her and take her in to be spayed.

Thank you for getting her spayed - I lost a cat to mammary cancer as her owner had never bothered to get her spayed cos she was indoor only, so it is something I am very passionate about, and try to prevent other cats having her fate.

I had my farm cats spayed/neutered 6 or so years ago - some we relocated to other farms, some adopted to indoor homes - I kept the old, the somewhat unfriendly, & the feral. Of the original 8, only 1 has died (he had a heart issue). Fafeena is now 16 years old & still kicking! The average lifespan of an un-neutered male was 1 year, if they were lucky. I have my 3 boys who are now 5, 5, & 8 years old.

I don't know where you live, but if is in a rural area, call around to the local vets (start with your own, of course) - at least around here (rural NJ) most of them have live traps to lend out.

Trapping is the most efficient way to trap, spay and neuter. This is a method used by thousands of people and communities across the country to control stray/feral cat colony breeding. It does SO many positive things for them to help their survival!

I don't know if there would be any low-cost clinics near where you live, but I can help search for them if you like. You can send me your zip code via private message - or just post the name of a largish town near you that isn't too difficult to get to.

But if you'd like to read more about Feral Cats and TNR (Trap-Neueter-Return) programs and caring for feral colonies and such, here are some good links for you.

http://www.straypetadvocacy.org
http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=434

Such a wonderful thing to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, everyone, for your kindess and helpful advice. We've named the kitty Tippy, and he is a he. I couldn't tell, and was terribly worried that it was a female. I found a low-cost spay/neuter clinic and took him in....he'd already been neutered!

I live in a wooded area in North Idaho, and there is clearly a large colony nearby, as we find strays every year (adopted one and her two babies). There are no shelters with room to take in new ones, so the problem is getting increasingly bad (especially this winter, which has felt more like spring all season long). This guy is very friendly and love a good lap-cuddle, so we will allow him to live under our porch as long as he'd like. We set up a pet carrier with blanket, but I think he prefers to sleep underneath the porch -- it must feel more secure (plus, that carrier was a sneaky trap so I could get him to the clinic). He gets breakfast and dinner, and a safe place to hang out until he decides he wants to move on. He got a rabies shot while he was at the clinic, and didn't seem to hold it against me.

Thanks again to all of your for your replies!

Many years ago when I first moved into a rural area, I didn't understand the benefits of having all the area strays/ferals spayed/neutered. All of the unneutered males would come and go, and since I was the one in the neighborhood feeding the outdoor cats, when they left, they most likely died. Once I started to trap and get them fixed, the males generally stuck around and the few that wandered off always came back. And the best thing was that I didn't get litter after litter of kittens to find homes for. Yes, I fixed any cat that came on my property, no questions asked. And funny you should mention it, but those cats also lived under my front porch for the most part.

Be prepared to feed this boy for many years to come. You've eliminated his need to fight with other cats and wander. He now has a good chance at a good life versus what it would have been like had you not neutered him. I have a feral girl that I've been taking care of for 17 years now and she does remarkably well outside with the (heated) shelter that I provided to her.

Kudo's to you for taking care of this boy!!

Good job keeping your rural kitty population down! It's mind-boggling when you think how many kittens can be created with one unaltered male and one unaltered female.

Tippy is doing very well. We give him breakfast and dinner, and each night I go out and sit on the porch and let him curl up on my lap for a little cuddle time. He really likes this whole cuddling thing! We put a large pet carrier out there with some blankets inside, and I find him "chilling out" in his kitty barn (as I call it) most evenings. He's putting on weight and getting used to our dog (a Corgi who wouldn't harm a flea), so it looks like he's in for the long haul. And like you said, his presence might discourage a mass-invasion.

Not that we won't help whatever kitty comes a-knocking.....

My colony are all spayed / neutered and it hasn't made the slightest difference in them, they are all still as cranky and territorial as ever but at least I don't have to deal with kittens. Well perhaps they have mellowed a little with age, but they are all 5+ now (I have been taking care of them for 4 years and they were all adults).

To me, if they show up and aren't adoptable, they are TNRed, the friendly drop offs go to the shelter

Bless you for giving Tippy refuge & vaccinations My garage is haven to Sylvester; there have been a couple of skinny strays who show up, fatten up, get some lovin' and then move on - I don't know where they come from, or where they're going - I just think of them as Kitty-Angels in disguise and pray & hope for the best for them