unitedpawsspayneuter@gmail.com or 503-842-5663
One of United Paws’ primary functions is to provide monthly spay/neuter clinics for kittens & cats in Tillamook County. This is part of our mission to alleviate animal suffering and reduce kitten & cat over population in Tillamook County. We primarily serve low-income and houseless community members who need help with their animal companions. We offer a sliding scale cost (or no cost) for spay/neuter surgeries for pets of people on limited incomes or unemployed persons.
An essential part of keeping your cat(s) healthy has never been easier or more affordable! So, if you are interested in getting help, please contact United Paws by phone or email as soon as possible. Keep in mind that we usually have a waiting list.
As resources allow, we also help get “feral” cats spayed/neutered in Tillamook County. Learn more about Trap Neuter Release (TNR) and ways United Paws can help.
Reasons to Get Your Cat Spayed or Neutered
Getting your cat or any stray or feral outdoor cats in the neighborhood “fixed” (spay for females & neuter for males) has several benefits in addition to curbing over population. There are important health reasons as well. Some of those benefits include:
- For females, spaying eliminates the possibility of unwanted litters, which can be detrimental to a cat’s health. Ideally, spaying before 5 months is best, before her first cycle, which can happen as soon as 5 months, but happens most commonly between 6 and 8 months of age.
- A spayed female does not have “heat cycles” and is a much calmer and happier cat.
- When a female is spayed prior to 6 months of age, there is a 91% reduction in the risk of mammary cancer.
- For males, neutering definitely cuts down on overpopulation because a single intact male cat can mate multiple times in a month — or even multiple times a day! This can lead to dozens of litters in a month.
- Male cats will constantly be seeking out female cats in heat as the instinctual drive to reproduce is hardwired in their brains. This astronomically increases the pet overpopulation problem and overcrowded shelters.
- Neutered males spray less often, their urine odor is not as strong, and their desire to mark territory is lower. Intact males’ urine is extremely strong and pungent, and they are driven to mark wider & wider areas as their territory.
- Intact males fight more often. They fight other male cats to establish dominance and this can lead to abscesses, bite wounds, and lacerations requiring expensive veterinary care.
- Male cats fighting is one of the most common ways that cats contract two deadly diseases: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV or feline aids) and Feline Leukemia (FELV), both of which can be transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood and saliva.
- Neutering a male cat prevents testicular cancer because the testicles have been removed. When a male cat is neutered before 6 months of age, this decreases the occurrence of abscesses (most often from wounds obtained by fighting with other cats).
- Bottom line, spayed & neutered kittens and cats make for healthier, happier companion animals and you save a lot of money on potential veterninary bills.
United Paws has spayed and neutered more than 15,000 cats and dogs! In recent years, we’ve had to limit our services to kittens & cats due to financial limitations. We are proud of our ongoing efforts and remind ourselves regularly that each animal altered means fewer homeless, suffering animals. One day, we hope to be able to once again extend these services to dogs, but for now, we must focus on kittens and cats.
There are additional spay and neuter resources available in our area, and you can view a list of these organizations HERE.