I have been absent a while. It's not that I have not been studying animal behavior, though. In fact, I am currently taking a course on husbandry and wellness. It's time to talk about it...and you knew it was coming...spaying and neutering. I know this is a touchy topic for some, often grounded in finances or other beliefs. I want to tackle a few of those now.
A single female cat will with her mate reproduce what can amount to several litters a year. Each of those kittens, not spayed or neutered, can do the same. As a result, what began with one single unspayed female cat and unneutered male cat, can result in 420,000 cats during their lifetime. That is a LOT of cats...and the reason so many trap, neuter, (TNR) programs are out there working to get the feral cat population down.
Many of you have good, kind hearts. You want to help and adopt these animals. I understand...and I don't want that to stop. But please do not allow the excuses to stand in the way of getting these animals spayed and neutered. First of all, it's important for population control. There are countless homeless pets out there. Visit any shelter. They are full to overflowing. Anyone there will tell you why. Secondly, it is important for the health of the animal. Did you realize that there are ZERO male cats or dogs suffering from testicular cancer? You can't get it if you don't have it. Unfortunately, so many dogs and cats that have been left intact also contract this disease. There are so many health reasons that I can only touch on the subject at the moment (look for more posts in the future!). Unneutered males will wander in search of a mate...as do females. It has been recorded that 80% of car fatalities for dogs are found in unneutered males. (I will get that source for you).
Anyway, suffice to say that you should never adopt an animal that you cannot afford to care for. This includes spaying and neutering. If you are such a kind soul that you end up taking in a stray, please know that there are countless clinics that run spay/neuter clinics. All you need to do is a little bit of research. It's your responsibility as a pet owner. Please spay and neuter!
I welcome questions here. I have only begun to broach this topic and have a wealth of information on the subject. Please feel free to comment below.
