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Owning a pet offers years of a rewarding experience. The loyalty, love, and affection they provide is vast. It has even been said that pets help people live longer healthier lives. Although the rewards of owning a pet far outweigh the reponsibilities, the obligations of a pet owner are still very important. After providing annual shots and vet visits, spaying or neutering your dog or cat is the most important. Several people have excuses about why their pet is not spayed or neutered. As pet lovers who sincerely believe in helping to prevent homeless animals, we feel that it is important to stress the benefits of spaying or neutering.
Why Breeding Your Pet is Not a Good Idea
Unless you are a professional breeder, you probably should not be breeding your dog or cat. There are a lot of costs involved in breeding that you may not have considered. Finding a male for your female is not always easy. And if you do find a male, there may be a stud fee involved. If you already have both a male and female breed, you may be inadvertantly breeding dogs or cats that are too closely related and therefore contributing to the degeneration of the breed. Once you have a pregnant female, there are several vet visits which cost money. There is not only the vet cost for the pregnant female, but there are also vet fees involved for the puppies or kittens. If you want to sell quality breeds, vet costs increase because you want the vet to check for health issues and hereditary problems. Also, some breeds require docking of tails or ears which also involves vet fees.
Another thing to consider is that all of your puppies or kittens may not be sold. If you are a considerate pet breeder, you may want to dispose of them by taking them to a no-kill shelter. No-kill shelters often request a donation in order to help them care for the animal before it is adopted. More often than not, breeding dogs or cats is not as profitable as you might think. And sometimes, no profit is made at all.
Besides costs, a lot of your time is required when caring for the pregnant female and her puppies or kittens. The mother dog or cat does not always care for her young properly. And if proper care is not given by either you or the mother, some of the young may die before they have a chance to be sold.
Even if you are lucky enough to find homes for the puppies or kittens your pet has had, you would be surprised to find how many of them end up in a shelter later. A lot of people get a puppy or kitten on impuse because they are so adorable. But people who don’t have the knowledge or the desire to learn about raising a pet tend to end up with an adult dog or cat they can’t handle. That pet may then end up abandoned. Stray dogs may bite or attack people or pets, get into trash, defecate on your lawn and spread disease to other pets. Research shows there are more dogs and cats born every day than there are people which means there are not enough people willing to adopt them all.
Spaying or Neutering Does Not Cost a Lot of Money
Costs to spay or neuter your pet can vary depending on your vet. If you can’t afford those costs, check with your local humane society and ask about low-cost spaying and neutering programs. These programs were formed in order to prevent unwanted pets so they will be glad to help you find something that can fit within your budget.
Spaying or Neutering Can Help Curb Certain Behavior Problems
Male cats who are not fixed tend to spray more often than male cats who are not neutered. When a male cat sprays, there is a highly offensive odor that can easily infiltrate your entire home. Not only that, the odor on the item that was sprayed will be difficult to remove. When female cats who are not fixed go into heat, they tend to do this odd screeching cry that is both incessant and loud. This could happen twice a year (usually in the spring and fall) and lasts up to three weeks.
Male dogs who are not fixed tend to mark more often, even indoors, and especially when they smell a female dog in heat. Indoor marking could damage your furniture and the smell could be difficult to remove. Female dogs who are not fixed tend to leave marks of blood on your carpet or furniture. Dogs do not bleed as heavily as people, but they do bleed - the bigger the dog, the more noticable the spotting.
For both male and female pets who are not fixed, you could have problems with them trying to get out of the house or fenced yard. Females in heat are especially more urgent to get outdoors. Male pets who catch the scent of a female in heat could be more inclined to get out of the house or dig out of the yard or jump the fence.
If you are wanting a loyal and lovable affectionate pet, your chances of getting one is by having your pet spayed or neutered. Believe it or not, studies show that fixed pets tend to be more affectionate.
Spaying or Neutering Can Help Prevent Certain Health Issues
Fixed pets tend to live longer. Losing a pet is very difficult so you want your dog or cat to live as long as possible. A dog that is spayed or neutered also tends to be healthier. They are also less likely to get certain types of cancer. A sick dog can be very expensive to make healthy. And in many cases, the pet can end up dying anyway.
So please help to prevent homeless pets by getting your dog or cat spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering your pet benefits you, your pet, and the community.
This article was inspired by No More Homelss Pets KC (NMHPKC)
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