February is Spay/Neuter Month in the United States! Are your pets spayed/neutered? Did you know that cats (kittens, really!) can become pregnant as early as 4 months old?
There are countless benefits to having your pets spayed/neutered.
•Did you know that close to 4 million healthy, adoptable cats/dogs are needlessly killed in American animal shelters- annually. This number could become ZERO if pets were spayed/neutered!
•Spay/neuter surgeries began officially nearly 100 years ago- to help companion pets live happier, healthier lives and to help prevent overpopulation issues
•It is a MYTH-- spaying/neutering your pet will NOT make them overweight! I repeat....this is a MYTH.
•Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer.
•Neutering your male dog or cat prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.
•"Many unneutered pets have aggression problems and often mark their territory with strong-scented urine, which can make the household unbearable. Early neutering can nix aggression."
•The pets desire to roam (in search of a "mate") will decrease or be eliminated all together once your pet is spayed/neutered (therefore decreasing the chances that your pet will mark his territory, be hit by a car, become lost or fight with other animals).
•Your pet will be overall healthier and happier for their lifetime--- quality of life will be much improved!
Debunking the MYTHS of companion pet spay/neuter:
As mentioned earlier, spay/neuter will not make your pet overweight. What WILL make them overweight is lack of proper exercise and/or overfeeding.
So many times, people who argue that they don't want to spend the money spaying/neutering their pets don't realize the high price tag of vet bills that they will pay overtime for birth after birth that will occur to an unfixed pet.
If you think you will find great homes for all of the puppies or kittens each time--- think about this fact shared by PAWS. "If each of the great homes ready to welcome your pet's offspring would instead be adopted from a shelter, they-and you- could potentially save the lives of deserving animals waiting for a new home."
Still another common statement given by those who don't think they want to spay/neuter their pets is that they want their pet(s) to reproduce so they can have more "just like them". Well, there is no guarantee that offspring will turn out "exactly" like mom or dad. This is never a guarantee. PAWS shared, "In fact, they may just as easily inherit the worst qualities..." therefore making them nothing like the parents.
THE BOTTOM LINE...
Spay/neuter is essential to the health and happiness of our pets and of our communities. Most communities/cities have low cost spay/neuter programs available to the public. In Cincinnati, OH for example, UCAN offers a wonderful low cost, high-quality spay/neuter service. In Greene County, OH (near Dayton) the Humane Society exists not as a shelter in any form, but instead as a once a month spay/neuter clinic for stray and feral cats in the local area and they offer great discounts to the public on low cost spay/neuter services with terrific local veterinarians.
If your pet is not yet spayed/neutered- click here to learn more: http://www.spayusa.org/
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