The above photo is Clyde who I rescued in 2020.

Clyde was a so called “community cat”. He was living stray for several years in a neighbourhood and had several feeders. Clyde was not neutered so he was often getting into fights with other cats. Male cats still intact will do this, usually over territory or a female cat. The wounds non neutered cats inflict on each other are often very serious and can also lead to death with infection. Clyde had to have his eye removed by the vet when I trapped him. He was a battered Tom cat with many scars. Clyde also tested FIV positive due to fighting with other cats. FIV (Feline immunodeficiency virus) is generally passed on between non neutured cats by fighting or mating.

Clyde was one amongst thousands of other cats around the country who are not neutered and therefore receiving and inflicting serious injuries on other cats as well as spreading feline diseases.

As well as injuries and diseases, a non neutured cat, especially males, will roam a lot further, often for miles looking for a mate. They then will often get lost or just continue roaming and never come back and even worse hit by trying to cross a main road. This is the same for a domestic homed cat or a stray/feral, it makes no difference.

Female cats will of course get pregnant if they are not neutured. This leads to unwanted kittens and/or more pressure put on cat rescues that are already full to the brim nationwide. For every kitten born, one will not be rehomed from a shelter.

Kittens are also very poorly hours, weeks or months after being born. So many things can go wrong and the kittens often end up suffering whether they are stray/feral or domestic and in a home. Female cats are also attacked on the streets and often ‘gang raped’ by groups of male cats and then they run very far trying to get away from the male cats.
Neutering is a simple procedure which only takes a few minutes for a vet to do. It is not painful and it is vital for cat welfare. Neutering also decreases risk of mammary, testicular and ovarian cancers in cats in later life.
Kittens can be neutered generally from 4 months old. They should not go out until they have be done. 

Microchipping of cats is also vital.

from June 2024 it will be a legal requirement that all domestic cats with a home be microchipped. This is for cat welfare because if the cat ever gets lost and then scanned for a chip, the owner will be able to be found if microchip details are kept up to date on the database. Microchipping is an inexpensive procedure that is usually done whilst being neutured or it can also be done any other time, it doesn’t require the cat to be sedated.