Gone are the days of allowing pets to “just have one litter. For the kids.”
Rescue centres are bursting at the seams and the number of unwanted pets grows daily. Responsible pet owners know that the ethical and correct thing to do is to spay and neuter their pets.
Spaying refers to the veterinary process of removing the ovaries and uterus of a female pet while neutering refers to the veterinary procedure of removing the testicles of a male pet.
Should you be looking for a little more convincing, the Pet Food Industry Association of Southern Africa (PFI) has compiled the below reasons to spay and neuter your pets:
- The obvious first reason is to curb the already huge population of dogs and cats, thereby giving shelter animals a greater chance of finding a home.
- Although the market for thoroughbred pets does exist, the task of raising flexible, well-adjusted and socialized pets is an onerous one and not one that should be taken lightly or by just anyone. A great deal of research, knowledge, time and effort is required. Don’t burden yourself with such requirements – rather leave this to the experts.
- Research suggests that spayed and neutered animals enjoy longer lives, in part because their desire to roam is curbed, keeping them safer, and their risk of contracting certain cancers is reduced.
- Certain bad behaviours can be curbed, especially those related to unacceptable urination and aggression. And because behaviours become habit, the earlier one spays or neuters (within acceptable age ranges) the lower the risk of having to deal with these sort of behaviours.
- One stands to save on unforeseen costs associated with reproductive health issues or injury sustained by roaming and fighting pets.
- A spayed female will not go into heat, saving you the unwelcome visits of male suitors.
- Despite popular belief, spaying or neutering your pet will not make them fat. What’s important is feeding an appropriate diet for age and life style, from a PFI member brand so that you can be sure your pet’s minimum dietary requirements are being met, and to incorporate an adequate amount of exercise into their daily routine. This holds true for all pets, whether spayed or neutered or not.