Although fascinating, it can result in a tragic surplus of unwanted kittens.

By Tom Ewing

Why does Toby, your normally well-behaved cat, suddenly insist on lifting his tail and spraying the legs of your dining room table with particularly foul-smelling urine just when the guests are arriving? Why do the cats in your neighborhood keep you awake on warm summer nights with their incessant yowling and screeching? And why do virtually all veterinarians strongly recommend the routine neutering and spaying of kittens?

Such questions are frequently asked, even by people who have owned a cat for many years. The answers can be gained through a basic understanding of feline sexual anatomy, the speed with which cats mature and acquire reproductive capability, their characteristic mating behaviors as…

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