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Yes it is considered to be “spooky season” but do you know what truly is terrifying? The amount of pets (specifically cats, dogs and rabbits) that are homeless because we do not do enough to stop the overpopulation. Moreso, people don’t realize the benefits that come along with spaying and neutering as well as the resources that are available to do so. The overpopulation issue then connects to the overcrowding problem in animal shelters which leads to more and more animals having to be either euthanized or turned away entirely. All in all, there are resources to help with spay/neutering, but we just have to be willing to reach out to them for help and not just ignore the problem at hand.
The Break Down
- Health Benefits
- Behavior Improvements
- Reduces the number of stray animals
- resources available
2. Health Benefits and Behavior Improvements
Majority of people know the most obvious benefit there is with fixing pets which is reducing overpopulation (which I will talk about in a bit) but there are also multiple health and behavior benefits that come along with it as well.
Health
- Female - Spaying prevents UTIs and decreases the presence of breast tumors which are cancerous in about 50% in dogs and 90% in cats (ASPCA.org).
- Male - Neutering prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.
Behavioral
- Female - won't go into heat (usually 4ish days every 3 weeks during breeding season). When they do this, they often yowl, make more noise than usual which is often not pleasant. They also tend to urinate more which in heat too which no one enjoys the smell of urine (especially in cats because of the ammonia levels and the difficulty of getting the small out of carpets and furniture).
-Male - an unneutered male is more likely to do anything in order to find a mate which encourages them to find ways to escape the house. Once free, there are risks of injuries with traffic and other animals.
Both - Unneutered dogs andcats are more likely to spay urine to mark their territory all over the house. They also might be less likely to mount other dogs, people and inanimate objects and also decrease the amount of aggression they have.
3. Reduces the Number of Stray Animals
Can lead to less overcrowding in shelters and fewer instances of euthanasia
- Some animals in shelters are saved from the streets and cruelty, while some are given up by their families. Countless others never make it to shelters and suffer without someone to care for them. Spaying or neutering pets prevents animals from being born accidentally, and is the most effective and humane way to save animals' lives.
-Sometimes euthanasia is the best alternative to overcrowding of shelters. Euthanasia allows the animals to be put down peacefully instead of enduring a stressful environment where they would likely not get the attention and care that they deserve. In some cases, it's putting them out of their suffering. But they wouldn’t need to be put out of their suffering if we spay/neuter to begin with
- Helps unplanned pet pregnancies - cats can get pregnant as early as 4 months old and can get pregnant again 2 weeks after giving birth and can have as many as 9 kittens per litter. Please take a second to do the math on that. Not only is that not a fair life for a kitten (to be a mom), but it is extremely preventable. Even cats such as barn cats, indoor/outdoor cats, feral cats and strays can be fixed and then returned to their natural habitats. Same goes with dogs.
There are a lot of non-profit organizations and resources that help assist pet owners be able to afford to spay/neuter their pets. One of the most common excuses people use when asked “why don’t they spay/neuter” has to do with the cost and part of that reason is because of lack of awareness. The more we discuss the issues, the more we can adapt and change and cut down on the amount of homeless animals.
Hop on google and search for organizations in your area. I have included some below for convenienece.
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