| In the words of Bob Barker ... Remember him? The late host of The Price is Right often signed off with the words "Remember to spay and neuter your pets." It's solid advice. Pet overpopulation and all that goes with it — from nuisance animals on your property, to the pitiful sight of a hungry dog running near the road, or a sweet kitty in a cage, who is too "average" looking to appeal to most adoptive homes — are ultimately human-caused problems. We've all likely encountered the stats about how many puppies or kittens an unaltered cat or dog can produce. Although they've been disputed, the figures are astonishing: A single breeding pair of cats, for example, can produce enough generations of other cats to spawn 420,000 kittens in the span of seven years. One female dog and her puppies can spawn about 67,000 other dogs in about six years. That's a lot of homes needed! Local rescues and shelters do a phenomenal job, but they cannot keep up. The community heroes who step up to address unowned or "community" cats face a Herculean task — and there can also be tension with neighbors, as the DCI detailed last week. There's a health benefit to sterilizing your cat or dog, too. According to Ivana Crenel, DVM at Veterinarians.org, neutering male animals reduces the urge to roam — and come to grief — and control unwanted sexual aggression, while also cutting the risk of prostate problems and removing entirely the risk of testicular cancer. Spaying a female decreases breast cancer incidence and prevents pyometra, a uterine infection.
You should consult with your vet about the best time to spay or neuter your cat or dog. And there's no time like the present: Tuesday is World Spay Day. So, do your furry friend a favor (and help shelters, rescues, and advocacy groups right along with it): Spay or neuter your pets!
(Cobalt doesn't know it, but he's visiting the vet this week for his procedure.) — Katharhynn from the newsroom.
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