Unneutered pets risk fuelling pregnancy crisis, vets warn
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An estimated 2.7 million dogs and one million cats in the UK have not been neutered.
PDSA vets are warning of a ‘pregnancy crisis’ as new figures show millions of cats and dogs across the UK have not been spayed or neutered.
The warning comes on the 24th annual World Spay Day - an event that gives organisations an opportunity to highlight the power of accessible, affordable spay and neuter programmes.
According to the PDSA, an estimated 2.7 million dogs and one million cats in the UK have not been neutered. As well as putting them at risk of unwanted litters, this also puts them at risk of major health problems such as cancer and infectious diseases.
“One unneutered female cat can be responsible for up to 20,000 kittens in just five years. Clearly, with one million unneutered cats in the country, this poses a major animal welfare problem if left unchecked,” said PDSA Senior Vet, Sean Wensley.
“Owners may not be willing or able to care for a litter of kittens, either financially or in terms of time needed to ensure they remain fit and healthy.”
The 2017 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report found that a shocking 70 per cent of kitten litters were unplanned. Many owners believe that cats should have one litter before being neutered. Another common myth is that cats won’t mate with their siblings.
In the last three years, vets and nurses at PDSA’s Pet Hospitals across the UK have successfully neutered more than 72,000 cats, microchipped over 92,000 and given health and wellbeing advice to more than 100,000.
Sean Wensley concluded: “This vital work by our PDSA veterinary teams means that, as these cats age, they’ll be at reduced risk of potentially fatal diseases, won’t have contributed to the problem of stray and unwanted animals and their wellbeing will have been improved thanks to tailored veterinary advice on each of their five welfare needs.”
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
