First and foremost, spaying or neutering can improve your
pet’s
quality of life
due to health benefits and a longer life span. Spaying and
neutering can prevent animals from developing certain types of
cancers that are associated with reproductive organs. Spaying also
prevents females from going into heat, which can be messy and
fairly frequent (depending on your pet’s individual
cycle).
Second, spaying and neutering helps to
prevent future litters of unwanted
puppies and kittens. Pet overpopulation is a huge problem, and one
of the most effective ways to reduce pet overpopulation is to
spay/neuter. Many healthy adoptable animals have to be euthanized
because there are just too many animals in local shelters and
rescue groups. Spaying and neutering has a ripple effect –
two unaltered cats and their litters could produce over 420,000
animals in 7 years; but a simple surgery can prevent this from
happening.
Third, your pet’s
behavior
can change – for the better. Males will no longer have
the desire to roam or mark their territory. They are also likely to
experience decreases in aggression. This means that your pets will
have less destructive behaviors and will likely have calmer
temperaments.
One reason that is often given for not spaying a pet is that
parents want their children to experience the birth of a litter. A
more responsible way to do this is to spay your pet and to
foster a cat or dog that is
already pregnant. This way, you can enjoy the benefits of having a
spayed pet and still provide your children with a learning
experience that both benefits an animal in need and the community.
