- MYTH: Animals who have been sterilized get fat and lazy.
- Sterilizing an animal does decrease his or her metabolic
rate. That is why this is the perfect time to switch from
a high-energy puppy/kitten food to a diet designed for adults.
After spaying or neutering an adult animal, feed a diet
appropriate to his or her life cycle. Over-feeding and lack
of exercise are the cause of obesity, not spay/neuter!
- MYTH: Males don't need to be neutered because they aren't
the ones having the litters.
- Believe it or not, this is the most prevalent spay/neuter
myth. Immaculate conception, however, does not explain canine
and feline pregnancies! One un-neutered male can impregnate
hundreds of female animals in the time it takes one litter
of kittens or puppies to be born. For some men, anything
to do with "between their legs" is sacred ground, especially
for their faithful hunting dog or tough tomcat. For individuals
who have a need for cosmetic reinforcement, there are synthetic
scrotal implants that can restore that "stud-ly" look. Studies
show that the majority of dog bites are made by intact,
untrained male dogs.
- MYTH: Females need to have one litter before being spayed.
- There is no medical support for this. Some people refuse
to spay/neuter because they think it would be nice for their
pet to have puppies or kittens. Every responsible home found
means one less home available to the many shelter animals
hoping for adoption. Each day animal shelters are forced
to kill thousands of dogs and cats for lack of responsible
homes.
- MYTH: Sterilization is cruel.
- Spay and neuter surgical procedures are done under general
anesthesia.
- MYTH: Preventing animals from having litters is unnatural.
- We've already interfered with nature by domesticating
dogs and cats. In doing so, we created the tragedy of pet
overpopulation. We now have the responsibility to solve
it.
- MYTH: Neutering male cats causes urethral obstructions
which can lead to death.
- Exhaustive studies have indicated that urethral obstructions
are not affected by whether a cat is neutered or not.
- MYTH: Spay/neuter is unnecessary for purebreds because
they are in great demand.
- One out of every four animals brought to animal shelters
is a purebred.
- MYTH: The cost of surgery is too high.
- Costs tend to be higher in cities and lower in rural areas.
If you believe that a spay or neuter surgery costs too much,
how do you plan to pay for pet food and routine medical
care?
- MYTH: Pets lament their lost capability to reproduce.
- Pets are not homo sapiens--they are a different species
from ours. Pets do not to nurture their young for 18 years,
watch them go off to college or whatever, marry, and produce
grandchildren. Dogs and cats nurse their young for a few
weeks, teach them to behave like dogs and cats, and go on
with their lives. Males know next to nothing of fatherhood.
They rarely recognize puppies and kittens as their own.)
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