Hundreds
of thousands of cat spays and cat neuters are performed
annually by veterinarians all across North America, and
yet there still is a growing population of homeless and
unwanted cats. If you do not plan to breed your pet, consult
with your veterinarian about the pros and cons of surgical
sterilization.
Spaying
and neutering does not "make a pet fat and lazy".
In a healthy cat, free of hypothyroidism, endocrine dysfunction,
or other medical disorders, overfeeding and insufficient
exercise are the sole causes of a pet being overweight.
Don't blame the spay or neuter surgery if your pet is overweight.
SPAY...
the medical term is ovariohysterectomy. In this major abdominal
surgery the pet's ovaries and uterus are removed. There
is no evidence that a pet suffers from any personality or
emotional harm by having their ovaries removed. The uterus
is also removed to insure that it does not become a source
of infection over a period of time. See Pyometra. If the
surgeon simply tied or obstructed the Fallopian tubes (the
channel where the eggs must pass into the uterus) in order
to make the female cat sterile, she would still come into
heat, attract males, and attempt to breed. Experience has
shown that the best procedure is to perform a complete ovariohysterectomy.
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NEUTER...
another term is castration. In this surgery the doctor makes
an incision in front of the scrotum and through that incision
accesses each testicle. The fibrous coverings of the testicles
are incised and each testicle is removed after securely ligating
the blood vessels that attach to each testicle. The benefits
of having a cat neutered are well documented. And to simply
do a vasectomy to render the male sterile would not alleviate
the scent marking, desire to breed, territorial defense and
other testosterone driven behaviors.
The
surgical procedures are performed under general anesthesia
and employing sterile instruments and a sterile surgical field.
Medical emergencies can arise if a cat becomes infected during
these procedures. No surgeon approaches a spay or neuter as
if it were "routine" because each surgery is different
from every other, each pet is different, and while neutering
might be deemed a minor surgery a spay certainly qualifies
as a major procedure.
There
are no medical, emotional or sociological reasons for a female
cat to "have just one litter". It is misinformation
to believe that "having just one litter" is somehow
good for the cat psychologically or medically. And the emotional
or educational benefit of experiencing the birth and care-taking
of a litter of kittens for your children should be a very
carefully analyzed proposition. Will your children accompany
you to the animal shelter when you drop off those last six
5 month old kittens you "just weren't able to find homes
for"? If you do choose to allow your cat to have a litter,
please be certain that there are committed pet caretakers
waiting and wanting to provide a home for them. Don't contribute
to the pathetic destruction of tens of thousands of animals
euthanized yearly in pounds and shelters. You do have the
power and intelligence to make a difference.
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