7 Common Myths (vs. Facts About Spaying & Neutering):

Accumulated by The Humane Society of the United States

MYTH #1: A pet will get fat and lazy.
FACT: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don't give them enough exercise.

MYTH #2: It's better for a pet to have one litter first.
FACT: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age.

MYTH #3: Children should experience the miracle of birth.
FACT: Even if children are able to see a pet give birth—which is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion—the lesson they will really learn is that animals can be created and discarded as it suits adults. Instead, it should be explained to children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.

MYTH #4: It is different for purebreds.
FACT: At least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters is a purebred. There are just too many dogs and cats and to few homes for mixed breed and purebred.

MYTH #5: Male dogs or cats should not feel like less of a male.
FACT: Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet's basic personality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.

MYTH #6: Some cats are so special, they should given the chance to replicate their genes.
FACT: A cat may be a great pet, but that doesn't mean her offspring will be a carbon copy. Professional animal breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can't guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, an entire litter of kittens might receive all of a pet's (and her mate's) worst characteristics.

MYTH #7: It's too expensive to have a cat spayed or neutered.
FACT: The cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex, size, and age of the pet, veterinarian's fees, and a number of other variables. But whatever the actual price, spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost—a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It's a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and litter; two months of pregnancy and another two months until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop. Most importantly, it's a very small price to pay for the health of a pet and the prevention of the births of more unwanted pets. Also, in less than one year's time, each pet's offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time.

In a nutshell:

• Our goal is to humanely reduce the number of homeless, unwanted cats and kittens.
• We do not discriminate between stray, abandoned and feral cats.
• As resources allow, we assist care givers in feeding and sheltering colonies of homeless cats.
• Where possible we remove non-feral cats and kittens from feral colonies, spay/neuter them and place them in approved adoptive homes.

Goals for the near future:

1: Establish TNR throughout Nova Scotia & New Brunswick.

2: Reduce the number of homeless cats through TNR (trap-neuter-return) programs and natural attrition

3: Improve the lives of homeless cats in the colonies we serve by assisting with food, shelter and minor medical care

4: Educate and advocate on the importance of spay/neutering

Goals for the distant future:

1: Implement the model of affordable Spay, Neuter & Vaccine-Clinics as seen in the U.S., as well as a pick-up & drop-off service for remote communities and
the disabled.

2: Set up education programs for the general public through the media and especially establish education programs for schools on the care of cats and the importance of population control. 

3. Lobby for improved laws for the protection of animals including legislation to control over-breeding, and for the enforcement of those laws.

"TNR"

TNR stands for 'Trap-Neuter-Return'.

The returned cats, who are eartipped to
identify them as neutered, are provided regular food and shelter and are
monitored for newcomers. Whenever possible, kittens young enough to be
readily socialized and friendly adults are removed and placed for adoption.

TNR immediately stabilizes the size of the colony if at least 70 percent of the
fertile adults are neutered. Neutering closer to 100 percent will result in a
gradual decline of the population over time. In addition, the nuisance behaviour often associated with feral cats is dramatically reduced. This includes the yowling and noise that comes with fighting and mating activity and the odour of unaltered males spraying to mark their territory. They will still continue to provide natural rodent control, a particularly valuable benefit in urban areas.

On a wider scale, TNR has several advantages: Foremost, the neutering of ferals lowers the number of cats and kittens flowing off the streets into the local shelter. Thus, the rate for domestic cats drops when there are fewer ferals because the lack of street kittens means less competition for spots in adoptive homes.

Another potential advantage on a large scale is cost savings to animal control
agencies. Traditionally, the cost involved with feral cats includes the time it takes for an officer to trap the cat, the expense of feeding and sheltering during the usual mandatory waiting period before the animal can be euthanized, and the cost of the euthanasia procedure. In contrast, the only cost involved with TNR is the neutering and vaccination of each cat. The rest of the work – trapping, feeding, and so on – is done by volunteers. In a study over the course of two and a half years of a new TNR program, cost savings were found to be 47 percent.