There are many reasons to spay or neuter your pet, and there are also many false ideas that lead people to believe it’s not necessary. But it is actually one of the best things you can do for your pet — and animals everywhere.
How is spay/neuter good for my pet?
- It improves its health and wellness.Spayed or neutered pets are less prone to diseases including breast cancer in females and testicular cancer or prostate enlargement in males. In addition to that benefit, spay/neuter will not make your pet overweight or lazy.
- It improves your pet’s mood.Pets become stressed when in heat, which can be several months out of the year. Being spayed or neutered relieves that stress and leaves you with a more content pet.
- It won’t make your male pet any less of “a man.”Animals don’t have a concept of sexual identity. Neutering your pet does not take away its natural tendencies that come more from instinct, genetics and environment rather than hormones.
- It diminishes bad behavior.When your pet is spayed or neutered it is less likely to “mark its territory” in an effort to attract the opposite sex. It is also less likely to roam and run the risk of altercations with other animals or being hit by a car as it no longer has the need to go out and find a mate.
How does spay/neuter save lives?
Dogs, cats and rabbits are very productive breeders. By spaying or neutering your pet, you prevent unwanted litters—and fewer unwanted litters means less homeless animals in need. Many animals could be left homeless if you didn’t spay/neuter your pet. Consider these facts:
- Dogs and cats can go into their first heat and have their first litter any time after they are six months old (four months for cats).
- Cats are seasonal breeders and will continually go in and out of heat from March to September.
- Dogs go into heat every six months.
- Allowing your pet to live without having spay/neuter surgery, and then allowing its puppies or kittens to live without the surgery can lead to more than 67,000 homeless dogs in six years and more than 11 million homeless cats in nine years.
