Thanks for that explanation Mrs. Dave - clears up a few misunderstandings regarding yet another of the differences between the USA and the UK! Just goes to show how speaking the same language (almost!) and watching many of the same TV shows doesn't necessarily mean that life's the same in both countries! LOL!

We too have a large feral cat population in the UK. The Cats Protection League has a policy of neutering all cats which come into its possession for care or re-homing, and I believe the RSPCA has a similar policy (or, if they don't do it automatically themselves, they strongly encourage neutering of re-homed cats).

The cats that have owned me have all been allowed freedom to roam, but were neutered at the first opportunity (around 6 months old here). Better for the cat and better for people (IMHO! Please, dear readers, don't poke me in the eye with a sharp stick for having an opinion!).