Why Spay Or Neuter Pets? Editor’s Note: This article was submitted by Watauga Humane Society volunteer Kathy Copley. Spaying or neutering pets will help reduce the number of animals taken to Watauga Animal Control and the Watauga Humane Society. The Humane Society of the United States writes, “Tremendous as the problem of pet overpopulation is, it can be solved if each of us takes just one small step, starting with not allowing our pets to breed.” Lynn Northup, Humane Society shelter manager, said she is looking forward to the day when every pet has a good home. “I have a goal of Watauga County being a ‘no more homeless pets’ community,” she said. “The only way to reduce the pet population problem is to spay and neuter.” Benefits Of Sterilizing Your Pet In addition to reducing the number of unwanted animals, spaying and neutering can improve a pet’s health, increase its life expectancy and improve its behavior, according information from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Sterilizing reduces a pet’s urge to roam, which decreases the risk of it running away, getting into fights or getting hit by a car. It can also eliminate or reduce the incidence of several serious health problems that can be difficult or expensive to treat. Neutered pets tend to be more gentle and affectionate, less interested in other animals and more focused on their family. The ASPCA says that a sterilized dog or cat lives an average of two to three years longer than an unsterilized one, that strays rarely survive more than a few years on their own and that they often die painfully. Surveys indicate that as many as 80 percent of dogs hit by cars are unaltered. The community also benefits when pets are spayed or neutered. Strays and abandoned companion animals that live on the street can become a public nuisance by getting into trash containers, soiling parks and sidewalks, creating noise and other disturbances, causing automobile accidents and even killing wildlife, livestock or other pets. Dispelling Myths Owners should always talk to their veterinarian about your pets’ individual needs, but the ASPCA, the HSUS, SpayUSA, PetSmart and other animal protection groups want to correct myths that keep some owners from sterilizing their pets. Sterilization won’t make a pet fat and lazy (but overfeeding and lack of exercise will). A kitten or puppy doesn’t have to be a year old to be spayed or neutered. Current thinking is that kittens and puppies can be sterilized as young as 2 months if they weigh a minimum of 2 pounds. Check with a veterinarian about the appropriate time for sterilization. A female puppy or kitten doesn’t have to have a litter before she is spayed. Evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier, and every heat cycle increases a pet’s chance of breast cancer. Mother cats can become pregnant while nursing. A mother can be spayed when the kittens are weaned (8 weeks for kittens). A pet’s behavior may change, but for the better. The pet will be less aggressive and less likely to bite, fight, roam or spray urine to mark territory inside the house and in the yard. Also, Romeos will be less likely to hang around the yard. Spaying or neutering does not affect a dog’s natural instinct to protect home and family. A male pet won’t feel less manly or suffer any kind of emotional reaction when neutered, and it won’t affect his appearance or performance as a hunting dog or watchdog. It may even make him easier to train. It is necessary to neuter male pets, even though they aren’t the ones giving birth. Females can’t do it alone. The surgery isn’t highly risky. Although there is always a slight risk, spay/neuter is the most common surgery, and a pet will usually resume normal activity with just a day or two of home care. Veterinarians can explain the risks and describe the after-care a pet will need. It isn’t “too expensive.” It is a one-time cost that is a lifetime investment in a pet that can solve a number of problems for you, your pet and a society already burdened with too many homeless dogs and cats. It isn’t easy to find homes for a litter of puppies and kittens. If it were, there would be no ads saying “Free to a good home.” You can’t depend on keeping your animal inside during its fertile period. This is a tremendous family responsibility and does nothing to eliminate health and behavioral problems such as spotting and spraying or susceptibility to diseases like cancer. Lynn Northup, Watauga Humane Society’s shelter manager, said that in six years, one un-spayed female dog and her un-spayed offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs. One un-spayed female cat and one un-neutered male cat and their offspring can result in 420,000 kittens in seven years. “There will never be enough homes for all the puppies and kittens that are born as long as that number far exceeds the number of people who are born,” Northup said. “This means that locally hundreds of healthy, loving cats, dogs, kittens and puppies face early deaths when they are abandoned to fend for themselves against cars and trucks, the weather, wild animals and cruel humans. “What can you do to stop the suffering? Spay and neuter your pets.”