Spay and Neuter Statistics

If we left two cats, and their subsequent offspring, to their own family planning arrangements, they could be responsible for bringing more than 80 million cats into the world in just ten years! Dogs are not quite so prolific, but just the female descendants of one bitch may produce nearly 200 offspring by the time that first bitch is just five years old. An estimated 8-10 million unwanted companion animals (cats and dogs) are euthanized in the United States each year - a figure that spay and neuter statistics prove can be vastly reduced.

The spay and neuter statistics given by The Humane Society state that 75% of owned dogs are spayed or neutered and 87% of owned cats. This shows that owners are taking a responsible approach and much of the problem may well lie within the stray community. It is obviously very difficult to even guess how many stray cats and dogs there may be roaming the streets both in the cities and in the more rural areas. As it is almost impossible to come up with a definitive figure for the stray cats and dogs, it is also difficult to say what an impact we can make on the euthanasia figure if a massive programme of treatments were to be adopted.

One fact that must be taken into consideration when looking at the spay and neuter statistics is the number of cats and dogs that must remain fertile for breeding purposes. We will obviously never be in the situation whereby 100% of the owned animals are spayed or neutered. There is very little need, however, for the majority of companion animals to be fertile and in many cases there are advantages in their being sterilized. Male cats are much less likely to spray, thus eliminating one of the less charming and sociable aspects of the tom cat! Health problems can also be reduced. This is an aspect which is beneficial to both your pet and your finances. One of the health benefits is the elimination of testicular cancer and the reduction in the risk of prostate disease. Spaying and neutering can be responsible for a change in the character of your pet. This is a change for the better, and you will soon notice that your cat or dog will become more affectionate and often less nervous and aggressive.

It is imperative that, now we have managed to increase sterilization in owned animals, we do not become complacent and let spay and neuter statistics fall. In an ideal world, the only cats and dogs not sterilized would be fertile for the purposes of breeding only. This, however, is very difficult to achieve. You only have to re-read the first paragraph to remind yourself of the effect that one pretty girl cat and one lucky boy cat can have on those statistics!

Gary Pearson is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about fixing your pets visit My Spay Neuter Clinics for current articles and discussions.