Spaying and Neutering

(from The Fund for Animals, 200 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019)

The Poor Prolific Cat


First Year		3 litters could be 12 offspring
Second Year		Could be 144 offspring
Third year		Could be 1078 offspring
Fourth Year		Could be 20,736 offspring

By the seventh year, the two little cats who started this could have 420,000 offspring.

A pair of dogs could have 67,000 offspring.

A female cat can have her first litter at the age of only six months and can become pregnant again while nursing her kittens. A female dog can have her first litter at six months and a second just four month later.

EVERY YEAR, IN NORTH AMERICA ALONE, MORE THAN 15 MILLIONS CATS AND DOGS ARE DESTROYED, SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OF THEM. PLEASE SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR PET!

The Facts on Spaying & Neutering

A host of myths surround spaying and neutering. Unfortunately, they often discourage people from having the surgery performed on their animal. We must battle misconceptions with facts - dogs' and cats' lives depend on it. Following are some of the myths along with the correct information.

MYTH: Preventing animals form having litters is unnatural.
FACT We've already interfered with nature by domesticating dogs and cats. In doing so, we helped create their overpopulation. We must now take responsibility for solving it.
MYTH: It's better to allow a female to have one litter before spaying.
FACT The best time to spay a female is before her first heat. Early spaying greatly reduces the incidence of mammary cancer.
MYTH: Behaviour is adversely affected by surgery.
FACT The only change in behaviour is positive. Male cats tend to reduce territorial spraying, depending on their age at neutering. Neutered dogs and cats fight less, resulting in fewer battle scars, contagious diseases and abscesses. They also wander less, because they aren't as interested in pursuing females in heat.
MYTH: Animals become fat and lazy after spaying and neutering.
FACT In most cases animals become fat and "lazy" only because their guardian over feeds and under exercises them.
MYTH: We don't need to neuter males because they don't have litters.
FACT It takes two to tango. In fact, one unaltered male can be responsible for impregnating dozens of females.

Medical Benefits of Spaying & Neutering

Spaying and neutering not only curtails overpopulation, it also provides medical benefits to the animal:

	Neutering decreases and often eliminates diseases that intact male dogs are prone to in later life, including diseases of the prostate, testicles and other tissues influenced by male hormones. Testicular and perianal cancers are the second and third most diagnosed tumours in older intact male dogs.
	Spaying female cats and dogs entirely eliminates diseases of the ovaries and uterus, and, if performed before the first or second heat, drastically reduces the chance of mammary gland cancer. Mammary cancer is very common in older intact females, and is the most common cancer to spread to the lungs.
	Neutering greatly reduces the risk of injuries and illnesses to males. Usually males tend to roam, increasing their chances of being killed or injured. They also intend to fight more, which guarantees wounds and infections.

What You Can Do

	Spay or neuter your dogs and cats and encourage others to do the same
	Adopt from your local shelter All shelters are over loaded with adoptable animals who need homes.
	Don't buy animals from pet stores Chances are the cute puppy in the window came from a puppy mill. Purchasing dogs from pet stores perpetuates the cruel puppy mill industry. If you want to adopt a specific breed that you cannot locate at a shelter, check with a local rescue club. Again, by purchasing an animal from a breeder, you re encouraging the breeding of more animals. It doesn't make sense to breed more when we must kill so many. If you have your heart set on adopting a particular breed, check the newspapers for adult animals being given up. or visit a shelter. Remember, over 20 per cent of the dogs and cats who end up in shelters are purebreds.
	Support your local shelter by volunteering Many shelters are in desperate need of volunteers.