Myths About Spaying and Neutering

MYTH	FACT
Pets get fat and lazy after they are spayed or neutered.	As long as you correctly monitor your pet’s diet and provide them with plenty of exercise, your pet will remain healthy and active. This is true of any pet, independent of spaying and neutering.
It’s better to have one litter first.	There is compounding medical evidence that refl ects that spaying your pet, especially before her first heat cycle, reduces or eliminates the risk of developing mammary tumors or ovarian and uterine cancers.
I want my children to experience the miracle of birth.	Birthing in cats and dogs typically occur at night, so it is unlikely your children will witness the actual birthing process. Furthermore, mothers tend to prefer privacy while they are giving birth, thus watching the process may add unnecessary stress to the situation. An alternative you should consider is fostering homeless kittens and puppies for your local animal shelter or rescue organizations. This way, your children can get the same experience, but they also learn the social responsibility of caring for animals and the impacts of pet overpopulation.
My pet is a purebred.	There are networks of responsible, professional breeders that work to preserve the breed. 25% of animals in animal shelters are, in fact, purebred. It is unnecessary for you to breed your purebred dog just because your cat is purebred.
I do not want my male pet to feel less “manly,” or I do not want my female pet to miss out on the miracle of birth.	Cats and dogs do not have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Spaying and neutering does not have any emotional affect on your pet.
My pet is so special and I want to produce more just like him.	It is possible for the offspring to look similar to your pet. However, when you factor in the new genes from your pet’s mate as well as the different environmental factors, it is virtually impossible for your pet’s offspring to be just like your pet. The offspring will have individual animals with entire personalities of their very own.
I will fi nd good homes for all the kittens.	You may be able to fi nd homes for each of the offspring, but what about when each of them have litters? Will each of those offspring be placed into a good home? The fact of the matter is that there are more pets than there are homes for them. Pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated with each new litter. If two cats are left alone for six years, they could potentially have 66,000 offspring.
It is too expensive to spay or neuter my pet.	The cost of care for a pregnant female and her litter or for a pet that has developed ovarian, uterine, or prostate cancer is MUCH more than the cost of a simple spay or neuter. Also, there are a number of low-cost spay and neuter clinics and programs throughout California.

If you are interested in spaying or neutering your pet, please research low-cost spay and neuter clinics in your area such as: