Why Spay & Neuter?
It’s not enough to simply rescue, rehome, repeat. More than 2.7 million healthy, adoptable cats & dogs are euthanized in shelters annually. Educating the public about the benefits of spay & neuter, and about the many assistance & low-cost options available, are vital weapons to fighting the overpopulation epidemic. It’s perhaps one of the most important jobs in rescue. Spay & neuter is the only 100% effective means of birth control. Long term, the key to ending the unnecessary euthanasia will NOT be the construction of bigger & better no kill shelters – it’s education where the battle will be won.
- Benefits for Your Pet
- Helps pets live longer, healthier, happier lives.
- Relieves pets of the constant stresses of mating & pregnancy.
- Prevents ovarian & uterine cancers, and pyometra in females.
- Reduces the risk of mammary cancer.
- Prevents testicular tumors – the second most common tumor in male dogs.
- Benefits for You
- Eliminates heat cycles in females.
- Reduces or eliminates mating behaviors such as howling, spraying, marking & humping.
- Reduces roaming in search of mates, thereby decreasing injuries in traffic & in the wild.
- Prevents litters of puppies or kittens to take care of & find homes for.
- Reduces veterinary visits and expenses.
- Benefits for Your Community
- Helps to reduce the number of homeless & stray pets.
- The best solution to the pet overpopulation crisis is to spay/neuter your pet.
- Helps to reduce shelter admissions, euthanasia rates, & overcrowding.
When to Spay & Neuter
Due to the many proven health & behavioral benefits, most veterinarians recommend spay/neuter of cats & dogs at a young age. Spay & neuter surgeries are incredibly safe, routine procedures that are quite affordable. There are many low-cost options available!
- Canines
Dogs can be spayed/neutered as adults, but the best time is often before sexual maturity. For years, 6 to 9 months was the recommended spay/neuter age. It’s now quite common to do spay/neuter at 4 months old. Consult with your veterinarian to determine the right age.
25% of unneutered dogs develop testicular cancer. Intact dogs are more prone to urine-marking than neutered dogs. Neutering your dog should reduce urine-marking and may even stop it altogether. Spaying and neutering your dog may also alleviate many other behavioral problems including roaming, aggression, mounting and excessive barking.
A study conducted by Banfield Pet Hospitals concluded that neutered, male dogs live 18% longer and spayed female dogs live 23% longer.
- Felines
With felines, the urge to spray is extremely strong. Altering prior to 4 months can curb the urge to “mark territory” in over 90% of cases. Even altering later in life can strongly decrease this behavior. Feline leukemia & FIV are also more prevalent in unaltered cats because these viruses can be passed through mating and fighting (although feline leukemia is also passed through casual contact). Unneutered male cats have a strong desire to roam in search of females. This often results in them fighting with other male cats, impregnating female cats, and getting lost from home.
An average intact cat has 1-8 kittens per litter and 2-3 litters per year. During her lifetime, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. A single pair of cats + their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.
A study conducted by Banfield Pet Hospitals concluded that spayed female cats live 39% longer and neutered male cats live 62% longer.
COMMON MYTHS
- MYTH: My pet will get fat & lazy.
- FACT: Spaying/neutering does not make pets lazy or fat.
- MYTH: It's better for an animal to have one litter or heat cycle first.
- FACT: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite.
Evidence shows that it’s best to spay females before they are sexually mature. In fact, spaying both female dogs & cats before their first heat cycle greatly reduces their risk of mammary cancer.
- MYTH: It's better for an animal to have one litter or heat cycle first.
- FACT: You may find them homes, but for every home you find, there's one less home available for a shelter cat or dog.
You are ultimately responsible for all those lives, whether you keep them or find them homes. Do you have any guarantee that the homes you find will take care of them, not breed them and, thus, add even more stray cats or dogs to the overpopulation problem? Pet overpopulation is a serious problem. Remember, overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time, and is a direct result of owners not sterilizing their pets.
There are thousands of puppies and kittens in shelters around the country, waiting for forever homes. Each year in the U.S., 2.7 million healthy pets are euthanized because of overpopulation.
- MYTH: My pet is too young to be spayed/neutered.
- FACT: Many vets routinely do spay/neuter as early as 8 weeks of age.
Most dogs & cats reach sexual maturity, and can reproduce, between 4 and 6 months of age. In many cases, younger is better. With cats especially, spaying/neutering sooner can prevent unwanted litters. Younger pets tend to handle the surgery better and have a faster, smoother recovery. Evidence shows that it’s best to spay/neuter before sexual maturity.
- MYTH: I don't need to neuter my male pet because he can't get pregnant.
- FACT: It takes two to tango!
Most dogs & cats reach sexual maturity, and can reproduce, between 4 and 6 months of age. In many cases, younger is better. With cats especially, spaying/neutering sooner can prevent unwanted litters. Younger pets tend to handle the surgery better and have a faster, smoother recovery. Evidence shows that it’s best to spay/neuter before sexual maturity.
- MYTH: Neutering will emasculate my male pet.
- FACT: Neutering will not make your pet feel any less "manly."
Cats & dogs don’t have any concept of sexual identity, and neutering won’t change that. What might change, however, is that your male pet will be less likely to roam away from home. Having your pet spayed/neutered is the best way to keep them safe & healthy.
- MYTH: It's too expensive.
- FACT: Spaying/neutering can actually save you money.
Sterilization reduces the risk of incidence of numerous health problems that are difficult and expensive to treat. In females, it eliminates the possibility of developing uterine or ovarian cancer, potentially fatal infections such as pyometra, & greatly reduces the chance of breast cancer. In males, it eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer, and greatly reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Caring for a pet with reproductive system cancer or pyometra can easily cost thousands of dollars – five to ten times as much as a routine spay/neuter surgery.
Additionally, unaltered pets can be more destructive or high-strung around other animals. Serious fighting is more common between unaltered pets of the same gender and can incur high veterinary costs. Even renewing your pet’s license can be more expensive when your animal is intact.
The cost of having your pet spayed/neuter is a one-time fee based on their age, size, & sex. If you can’t afford the surgery, check with your local animal organizations or vet offices about programs for low-income pet owners. Many programs provide a discount and some cover the entire amount. The health benefits of spay/neuter are well worth the expense.
“I keep my pet indoors. Why should I incur the extra expense of spay/neuter if I’m being responsible?”
It’s a common question & many people are surprised to learn all the health benefits of spay & neuter. Unaltered males are prone to testicular cancer, prostate disease, & malignant anal tumors. Most of the medial advantages to neutering males are seen as the animal ages, so even if fido is advancing in years, it’s not too late to reap the benefits of sterilization. Behaviorally, unneutered males tend to mark inappropriately, mount things or people, & have a much higher occurrence of aggression.
