Spay/Neuter

The first and most obvious answer is to cut down on pet overpopulation and the number of homeless cats and dogs that are subject to the privations of life on the streets - starvation, abuse, illness and frequently violent death... ask any rescue volunteer and they can give you 100 sad stories.

What many people don’t realize is that spaying and neutering your pet is also truly important for your well cared for, beloved and pampered darling. Hormonal cats and dogs are subject to urges they cannot control and we humans cannot hope to understand. Like any life form the deepest need to reproduce is entrenched in their brains and the hormones produced in unaltered animals torture them constantly. Altered dogs and cats are calmer, better behaved, more trainable, and ultimately much happier animals!

One of the primary reasons pets (cats in particular) are abandoned or relinquished (given away, thrown out....) is inappropriate toileting. No one wants their furniture to smell like pee! I often have pet-buyers ask about "boys spraying" but honestly un-spayed females are often more guilty of marking than un-neutered boys, it's just that un-neutered males have a much stronger odor and are more immediately noticeable.

From a strictly physiological viewpoint, an altered pet also has a much longer lifespan and is not as susceptible to illness and disease, because hormonal urges create a great deal of stress in their bodies and this constant stress depletes the natural immune system. Likewise neutered males never die from testicular cancer and have less aggression and have less inclination to "mark" territory. Spayed females never die from ovarian cancer or pyometra (a disease of the uterus that can be fatal), have far less incidence of mammary displasia (cancer) and also feel less inclined to "advertise" their availability.

Many people feel they are "taking something away" from their pets when they spay or neuter - and in fact you are; you’re taking away a greater chance of developing a terminal illness, you’re taking away hormonal aggressions and anxiety. What you are giving them by administering this minor surgery is a calmer, happier mind and a longer, healthier life!