Myths about Spaying and Neutering
	Thousands of cats and dogs are killed each year in shelters because there are not enough homes.  Additionally,   free-roaming and unwanted cats and dogs are killed or die of starvation and disease as they are exposed to the dangers of  the streets. Spaying and neutering is the only answer to preventing this problem.  Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions regarding the safety and effects of spaying and neutering that create obstacles to having this be a successful effort. Below we will explore some of the more common myths, or misconceptions. "My dog or cat has to have a first “heat cycle” or litter before being spayed.” Fact:   For every “heat cycle”  that your pet has, the risk of mammary (breast) cancer and reproductive cancers are increased.  Both dogs and cats can be safely spayed by the age of 4 months, before the first heat cycle. After your female pet is spayed, she will have zero risk of uterine cancer or infections and a significantly lower risk of mammary cancer. In addition, male dogs and cats can smell your pet that is “in heat” up to blocks away.  This “invites” roaming dogs and cats onto your property.  Both cats and dogs can display hormone-related aggression when they are in heat, especially when they are confronted by a male dog or cat that wants to mate with them.  Also, the majority of dog- bite reports involve un-neutered male dogs – this is potentially what you are attracting to your property. “My dog or cat has to have at least one litter before being spayed or neutered.” Fact:   Your pet has reached adequate maturity to be spayed or neutered by the age of 4 months.  Spay/neuter does not affect the development of your pet and does not negatively affect his or her personality. In fact, female dogs and cats that are allowed to have even one litter prior to being spayed, are reported by their owners to have undesirable changes in behavior.   Male dogs and cats that are allowed to breed before being neutered, will often display undesirable behavior such as:  marking their territory with urine, aggression, and,  with dogs,  “humping”  furniture (or guests’ legs). “My pet will get lazy and become overweight if I get him or her neutered or spayed.” Fact: With continued proper diet and exercise, your pet will maintain a healthy weight. The nutritional needs of dogs and cats change as the pet ages, and not due to being spayed or neutered.     “My female cat stays inside, so I don’t need to spay her.” Fact: Cats frequently escape quickly through a door and have even been known to tear through window screens to get outside (especially) when in heat.  If your cat gets outside, she is exposed to more than just pregnancy. She is now exposed to cars, wild animals, and abusive strangers.  Also, during the mating process, male cats will often bite the back of the female’s neck. Female cats often suffer flesh wounds as a result of mating. Infections as a result of these kinds of injuries many times result in very expensive vet bills and/or the need for the cat to be euthanized.   Also, fatal viruses are transmitted by contact with other cats. Thousands of kittens are euthanized each year because someone’s “inside cat” got out! “My female dog stays inside and I have a fence, so I don’t need to get her spayed.” Fact:   Male dogs will dig under or jump a fence to breed with a female dog. Female dogs in heat will do likewise. Dogs are also able to actually breed through fences, especially chain-link fences and any fences that have some kind of breech or spacing in them.  Your female dog is still at an increased risk of reproductive and mammary cancer as long as she is not spayed. Also, female dogs have  messy “heat cycles” every six months in which she has a bloody discharge that lasts up to three weeks.  Remember, especially during these heat cycles, she can be more irritable and suffer from hormone-related aggression which can lead to uncharacteristic, unacceptable behaviors, including, but not limited to biting. “My male dog stays inside and I have a fence, so I don’t need to get him neutered.” Fact:   As mentioned above, un-neutered male dogs will jump or dig under a fence to roam and can breed through a fence if necessary.  Also, your dog is at risk for testicular and prostate cancer.  A neutered male has zero risk of testicular cancer and a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer. “Even if my dog or cat  does breed, I have a male, so  it’s not my problem, I don’t have to deal with the puppies or kittens.” Fact:   Your pet is still at risk for reproductive cancers and both males and female pets can contract sexually-transmitted diseases during breeding. In both dogs and cats, some of these viruses can be deadly.  Whether you own a male or female pet, you are responsible for any resulting offspring.  While as the owner of a male pet, you may not be   held accountable for puppies or kittens born (because it is usually difficult to prove who the male parent is), you are ethically responsible for contributing to the pet overpopulation problem and the needless killing of dogs and cats in shelters as a result. “My dog or cat will not be as affectionate to me or my family once he or she is fixed.” Fact: Pets actually can become more affectionate and the human-animal bond is increased once your pet is no longer preoccupied with behavior that is driven by pure instinct and hormones, rather than choice.  Spayed and neutered pets tend to be more focused on interacting with you and your family .     “My pet  will not be aggressive enough to protect my property once he or she is fixed.” Fact:          Aggression is not what makes a pet a good protector, rather it is loyalty and trust.  As the human-animal bond grows, your pet is more likely to be focused and aware of anything that may be a threat to you or your family.  The dog that has not been fixed and has a potential mate down the street, is going to be more intensely focused on meeting up with that dog rather than noticing anything out of the ordinary on your property! “My dog will not be as intelligent or learn as quickly if he or she is fixed.” Fact:   Basic personality and intelligence are NOT negatively affected by spaying or neutering your pet.  As a matter of fact, in most communities, obedience training costs are reduced for spayed or neutered pets because the dog is less likely to be aggressive and cause problems with other pets or people in the class.  Your dog will be more focused on YOU and willing to learn the skills you are attempting to teach him or her. “Male pets need to breed, produce litters, and/or “have his equipment” to feel fulfilled.” Fact:   Pets, both male and female breed due to hormone-driven instinct, NOT by choice.   Therefore, “feelings” are not a part of breeding for pets and they do not have any special attachment to their reproductive organs. This kind of thinking is what is called “humanizing” pets, where people attribute distinctly human characteristics to animals. If as a pet owner, you are concerned with the cosmetic effects of neutering your male pet, there is a product called neuticles, which are prosthetic testicles that can be implanted at the time of neutering so that your male neutered dog will appear cosmetically to be intact. “My pets are brother and sister (or mother/son, daughter/father, etc), so they will not breed.” Fact: Once again, breeding is a behavior as a result of hormone-driven instinct.  Pets do not distinguish the fact that they are related and WILL indeed breed.  The  resulting offspring are at an increased risk of birth defects because they are so closely related.  This thinking is another example of “humanizing” pets. “My pet is purebreed, so it is a “waste” if I don’t allow him or her to produce at least one litter so that his or her championship bloodlines can be carried on.” Fact: If you had purchased your dog or cat from a responsible breeder, they would have required you to sign a spay/neuter contract.  Responsible breeders who own and breed  pets with truly high-quality bloodlines, will not sell a dog or cat for the purposes of breeding to anyone other than another responsible breeder who is highly qualified and understands the importance of which bloodlines should be bred to which bloodlines to help preserve them and to prevent any birth defects from being passed on. This involves extensive research and collaboration within a close community of breeders.  Even with such a   commitment, only a certain percentage of the resulting puppies or kittens are considered to be “breeding quality.”   The responsible breeder will sell the other puppies and kittens to the general public as “pet quality”  only and require that they never be bred and be spayed or neutered.   Purebreed puppies and kittens are turned into shelters and rescue groups every day.  This has become such a problem, that you can easily find a breed-specific rescue group for most breeds!  Purebreed pets are killed in shelters every year partly because of the overpopulation problem and partly because of poor breeding practices by “backyard breeders,” leading to behavior problems.   No one considers themselves a backyard breeder, but quite simply, if you are breeding your purebreed pet simply because he is not a mixed-breed, you unfortunately, qualify as such. The good news? You can stop that cycle now and fix your pet. "Making money” by breeding, is not the hallmark of  a responsible breeder. Truly responsible breeders who breed for the sake of preserving bloodlines actually only “break even” (at best) and breeding usually costs them money.   Also, they breed very infrequently.