Benefits of Spaying and Neutering Your Pet

When you bring home a new puppy or kitten, you’re probably focused on their basic needs- making sure they have the right food, a safe environment to play and an appropriate place to take care of their “business.”

With so many things to consider, you may not have thought about another important issue: having your pet spayed or neutered.

Spay vs. neuter

Spaying or neutering a pet is a safe procedure done to remove a dog or cat’s reproductive organs. Spaying is done for female cats and dogs, while neutering is done for male cats and dogs.

While you are making the decision on whether to spay or neuter your pet, consider the following benefits:

1. Less strays  

If you love pets—and we know you do—you may be worried about all the cats and dogs that don’t have loving homes. Pets who aren’t spayed or neutered are at a greater risk of reproducing and increasing the population of stray pets. Stray pets have poor living conditions and are susceptible to illnesses and injuries.

Spaying or neutering your pet can help decrease the number of strays and open up more space at shelters for pets to be rescued.

2. Less attention from male cats and dogs

When you’re a lonely dog, anything can seem like a potential love-match. Neutering your male will stop unwanted – and often embarrassing – behaviour. Meanwhile, spaying your female will stop her from going into heat which will mean less unwanted attention from male dogs and less work for you in the future.

3. Improve behaviour

Getting your dog neutered or spayed reduces aggression between male dogs and reduces roaming, marking and mounting behaviours.

4. Health benefits

Through spay and neuter, the risk of cancer is eliminated in the ovaries, uterus and testicles. If your pet is spayed before the second heat, females have a lower risk of mammary cancer.

These are just a few of the many reasons why you should seriously consider spaying or neutering your pet—and there are plenty more! But don’t just take our word for it.