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Stop Litter-ing: The importance of 'fixing' your pet

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I have to admit, working at an animal shelter has completely altered my opinion of 101 Dalmatians. What used to look like a dream come true (who doesn’t want a house full of puppies?) now looks like a prime lesson on why you should get your pets fixed. At the shelter, we make sure every dog, cat, and rabbit is fixed before it gets adopted. We also offer low-cost spay and neuter clinics to the public. Still, spaying and neutering is a topic that confuses many pet owners and potential adopters. If you’re debating whether or not to get your pet fixed, remember this:

Shelters Are Overcrowded

I share my office with three female cats, two of which gave birth to three kittens each when they arrived at the shelter. In the blink of an eye, two cats had become eight cats – all of which needed to be cared for at the expense of the shelter for the next eight weeks, the minimum age we can neuter and adopt out animals. During the summer months, it’s not uncommon for the shelter to have over 100 kittens living in foster homes. As soon as one litter returns to the shelter for adoption, another is born and takes their place in foster care. This seemingly endless cycle is known as “Kitten Season” and places a huge stress on shelters across the country as they struggle to care for so many unwanted litters.

Many people mistakenly believe that their indoor-only pet is not at risk of becoming pregnant. When female cats are in heat, they can attract male cats from all around. If your cat manages to get out of the house, either by accident or by forcing their way out, they are very likely to become pregnant. Unfortunately, we hear the “my cat got out of the house and now she’s pregnant” story a lot at the shelter.

Spaying and Neutering Improves Their Health

Most people don’t bat an eye when we tell them our shelter cats and dogs are all fixed, but we often get a lot of confused faces when we say the rabbits are all spayed and neutered, too. The most common question people ask is, “If I only have one rabbit, do I really need to have it fixed?”

This seems perfectly logical – if you only have one rabbit, it’s not going to have babies. However, spaying and neutering is not just about preventing unwanted litters. Getting your pet fixed will help them have a healthier and longer life. In fact, un-spayed rabbits run a very high risk of getting uterine cancer. Similarly, dogs and cats that are not fixed are at a higher risk of developing mammary gland tumors, testicular cancer, and ovarian cancer.

You Will See a Change in Your Pet – For the Better!

Animals that aren’t spayed or neutered tend to display a lot of behavior issues, such as marking or aggression. I once shared my office with an unneutered dog and, no matter how many times I took him outside, he always found a reason to pee on something. After he was neutered, though, his behavior completely changed and he stopped ruining my office. Despite what many people have been led to believe, having your pet fixed does not make them fat and lazy. Feeding them too much food and not getting them to exercise is what makes them fat and lazy!

The Benefits Outweigh the Cost

Getting your pet spayed or neutered can be pretty expensive, and it’s not uncommon for people to push off making an appointment for their pet simply because the cost is too high. The financial strain, however, that comes with a pet having an unwanted litter or developing an illness is far greater than the cost of having your pet fixed.

If you’re looking to add a new pet to your family, be sure to factor in the extra cost of having your pet fixed if it is not already. Consider adoption instead of purchasing a pet from a breeder or pet store – shelter animals are usually fixed prior to adoption. If you’re looking to have your pet spayed or neutered, ask your local animal shelter about low-cost spay/neuter clinics. If your local shelter does not offer them, they can direct you to one in the area.

Please be a responsible pet owner and have your pet spayed or neutered!

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, a cat, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org

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neutering your pet, paws for thought, spaying
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