Most people know that spaying and neutering their pets is an important issue, but up to 35% of pet owners still don’t get their pets fixed for various reasons. It’s not a fun topic to talk about for most people—they’d much rather talk about the heartwarming, fuzzy stories about animals for obvious reasons. But we can’t ignore the high number of animals awaiting homes, or not making it, in shelters.
Recently I’ve had a few people tell me that they want to have their pets fixed and updated on vaccinations, but they just don’t have the hundreds of dollars to spend on it at the vet. Absolutely understandable. Luckily, price isn’t as much of a concern these days with the rise of low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country. You can now get your pet fixed and up-to-date on vaccinations for as little as $100 (or less), depending on the clinic and type of animal. Contact your local animal shelter to find out where the nearest low-cost clinic is to you, or visit the HSUS, Spay USA, Spot Society, or if you’re in Athens, GA, visit the Athens Area Humane Society.
Below are some enlightening statistics about spaying/neutering, as well as some reminders why getting your pet fixed in a timely manner is so important.
Did You Know….
Cats and dogs can be spayed as early as 2 months old and/or at 2 pounds. Young pets recover quickly from these surgeries, so vets no longer go by the one-year rule.
Cats and dogs can become pregnant as early as 4 months old.
The HSUS estimates that 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States—that’s around half of the animals entering shelters. To put this in more perspective on a local level, in metro Atlanta, approximately 166 animals are euthanized every day according to Spay Georgia.
Two cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats within 7 years, and two dogs and their offspring can produce 50,000 dogs in 7 years. Wow.
You can get your pet spayed while in heat or while pregnant, although it usually has an added cost.
But Why?....
If the pet reproduction stats didn’t faze you, here are a few more reasons to go through with your pet’s spay/neuter.
Allowing your pet to mate will take away potential homes from homeless pets already in shelters. So even if you find good homes for your new kittens or puppies, you’re taking away that many homes from animals in shelters.
Your pet’s health will be bettered because spaying/neutering animals reduces their risk of developing several different cancers. Spaying your female pet before her first heat will further reduce the risk, as well.
Your pet’s behavior can be positively affected by being fixed—less aggression, less territory marking, and less desire to run away from home looking for a mate.
Your community will also benefit by having less stray animals in the area that may pose problems, and reducing the number of pets entering shelters will reduce your tax dollars spent to control the pet overpopulation problem.
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