Did You Know?
On average, for each pet adopted to a new home, 9 animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them. Each day in the U.S., 70,000 puppies and kittens are born while only 10,000 humans are born. That's a 7 to 1 ratio.

Each year in the U.S., almost 15,000,000 dogs and cats are destroyed because there are not enough loving homes for them all. Please don't fool yourself into thinking that if you can find a home for each of your pet's offspring you avoid adding to the number of homeless pets. Usually, you've only eliminated potential homes for other waiting dogs or cats. Only so many responsible, caring homes exist, and finding a home for one of your pet's offspring just prevents some other dog or cat from finding a nice home.

Only you can help prevent unwanted pet reproduction. If you get a puppy or a kitten, plan to have it surgically sterilized as soon as the animal is old enough. This procedure is beneficial for you and your pet, as it makes them calmer, more content indoors, less aggressive to other pets and people, less likely to get in outdoor fights, and less susceptible to certain forms of cancer, particularly in females.

Sterilized pets have twice the average life expectancy of unsterilized pets, partly due to a much lower chance of suffering from breast, uterine, prostate, and testicular cancer. Also, since the urge to mate is eliminated, neutered pets are less likely to roam from home and be injured in fights or killed in traffic

Health Benefits

Spaying can also prevent mammary gland tumors, the most common tumor in unspayed female dogs and the third most common tumor in cats. They are more common in dogs than in humans. A high percentage of mammary tumors are cancerous: in dogs, nearly 50%; in cats, nearly 90%. Once a cancerous mammary tumor spreads to the bones or lungs, the cancer will be fatal. An unspayed dog is 200 times more likely to develop mammary tumors than a dog spayed before her first heat.

An unspayed cat is 7 times more likely than a spayed cat to develop mammary tumors. Spayed dogs and cats also avoid the dangers of giving birth. A narrow birth canal or inadequate body size can sometimes make giving birth perilous.

Male Dogs: Neutering removes the testicles, which prevents testicular tumors and greatly reduces the risk of developing rectal tumors. A dog who develops a testicular tumor must be treated before the tumor spreads -- the only effective means is neutering. Testicular tumors are especially prevalent in older dogs and are the second most common tumor in male dogs. Enlargement of the prostate gland affects over 60% of unneutered male dogs older than five years. Prostatic enlargement predisposes a dog to prostate and urinary-tract infections, which can make urinating difficult and painful. If an infection leads to an abscess, the abscess must be surgically drained. Common consequences of the surgery include system wide infection and shock or sometimes death. Because prostatic enlargement is caused by the male hormone testosterone, and testosterone is produced by the testicles. Neutering acts as both a preventative measure and a cure. Additionally, by eliminating the sexual drive that can cause a dog to bolt from the yard or house, neutering helps protect dogs from injuries associated with roaming, such as being hit by a car or infections transmitted by other animals.

Male Cats: As with unneutered male dogs, an urge to mate increases the chances that a male cat will slip out of the house and suffer fight wounds or traffic injuries. The resulting wounds frequently develop into abscesses that must be surgically drained and treated with antibiotics. Worse, even a single bite can transmit deadly diseases, such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) or Feline Leukemia from one cat to another. FIV and Feline Leukemia can cause fatal failure of the immune system in some cats.

Behavioral Benefits

Male Dogs: In many male dogs, neutering reduces or eliminates sexual mounting behavior and territorial marking with their urine (including any that might take place in the house). Male Cats: Most unneutered cats frequently spray urine to mark their territory. In contrast, only 1 in 10 neutered males sprays. The urine of an unneutered male has an exceptionally strong odor as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is spay/neuter surgery painful? Is it dangerous?

A. During spaying/neutering, dogs and cats are fully anesthetized, so they feel no pain. After surgery they may experience some discomfort, but this disappears in a few days or hours. As with any surgery complications are possible, but rare.

Q2. Is spay/neuter surgery expensive?

A. spay/neuter surgery generally costs less than most other major surgeries and some local veterinarians provide discounted sterilization to the public. It is generally cheaper to spay an animal than to pay for the costs of caring for an entire litter of puppies or kittens.

Q3. Shouldn't a female dog or cat have one litter, or at least one heat, before being spayed?

A. On the contrary, a dog or cat has the best chance of good health if spayed before her first heat. Early spaying also reduces the chance that the animal will "accidentally" escape and become pregnant.

Q4. Can a pregnant animal be safely spayed?

A. Many animals and cats are spayed while pregnant to prevent the birth of puppies or kittens. However, a veterinarian should be consulted about the health and stage of pregnancy before making such a decision.

Q5. Don't spayed/neutered animals become overweight and less affectionate?

A. In some dogs and cats appetite will increase, but if your pet is given the proper amount of food and adequate exercise, they are unlikely to become overweight. In addition, because they are freed from the urge to mate, dogs and cats tend to be calmer, more content, and more affectionate.

Q6. Why should a male dog or cat be neutered - they don't give birth to puppies or kittens?

A. Besides the health benefits received from neutering, a male dog or cat can impregnate many females in a short period of time, and often without the owner's knowledge. This greatly contributes to pet over-population.

Q7. At what age should my dog or cat be spay/neutered?

A. Because of the health and reproductive benefits of early spay/neutering, most dogs and cats should have the surgery by 6 months. A growing number of veterinarians are sterilizing pets between 3-5 months, so please check with your veterinarian first. Remember, even older dogs and cats will receive huge benefits from being spayed or neutered.

Q8. What if there are wild (feral) cats hanging around my neighborhood?

A. The California Veterinary Association is underwiting a FREE spay/neuter program for wild cats in which many Southern California veterinarians are participating. For information contact your own vet or the Californian Veterinary Association. Other States may also have similar programs, please check with your vet. In order to trap a wild cat, humane traps are available from many humane organizations, or can be rented from various animal feed stores.