Top 10 Reasons to Spay/Neuter Your Pet

#1 - Healthier Females

Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent pyometra (pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization, intravenous fluids, and antibiotics. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs and in 90 percent of female cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.

#2 - Healthier Males

Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male dog or cat prevents testicular cancer.

#3 - Better Behavior

Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Indoors, male dogs may embarrass you by mounting on furniture and human legs when stimulated. Aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering, though neutered dogs protect their homes and families just as well as unneutered dogs.

#4 - Avoiding the "Heat"

While cycles can vary greatly, female felines usually go into heat for four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they will yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house. Unspayed female dogs generally have a bloody discharge for about a week, and can conceive for another week or so.

#5 - Less Risk of Roaming

An intact male in search of a mate will do just about anything to get one! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he is free to roam, he risks injury from traffic and fights with other males.

#6 - Highly Cost-Effective

The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with neighborhood strays…or the cost of cleaning the carpet that your unspayed female keeps mistaking for her litter box...or the cost of well, you get the idea!

#7 - Good for the Community

Stray animals pose real problems in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause vehicular accidents, damage the local fauna, and scare children.

#8 - The Miracle of Responsibility

We have heard many people say that they don’t want their pet to be spayed/neutered because their children will miss the miracle of birth. But you know what? Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping teaches your children irresponsibility. Anyone who has seen an animal euthanized in a shelter for lack of a home knows the truth behind this dangerous myth. There are countless books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner, without sacrificing animals to do so.

#9 - It Will NOT Make Your Pet Fat!

Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds, not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

#10 - Fighting Pet Overpopulation

And last, but certainly not least, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering. We at Twin Ports Spay/Neuter are dedicated to providing a non-lethal solution to the problem of shelter & pet overpopulation.