What is the difference between spayed and neutered cats

Spaying or neutering your pet benefits both your animal and your community. According to the ASPCA, animals who have been spayed or neutered are typically less aggressive since their instinct to mate has been eliminated. Many unwanted behaviors such as fighting, roaming, spraying, and crying will go away after surgery, and most pets become even more affectionate to their owners. Additionally, spaying females prevents breast cancer and eliminates both uterine infections and cancer, and for males, neutering reduces the chance or testicular cancer and prostate problems.

Everyone loves cute and cuddly puppies and kittens. The reality is there are only so many people who want to have a pet, and most animal shelters are already reaching their capacity to care for homeless pets. By spaying or neutering your pet, you are helping to reduce overpopulation in these shelters, and giving other animals a chance to find their forever homes.

To decide an accurate time to spay or neuter your pet, you should reach out to an animal hospital and veterinarian to determine this for your animal. According to the ASPCA, puppies are typically spayed or neutered between six and nine months, but can be as young as eight weeks if your veterinarian decides they are healthy.

Spaying or neutering your cat prevents unwanted births, which helps reduce overpopulation in shelters. Millions of unwanted animals end up in shelters or on the streets each year. Only a lucky few are adopted; the rest are either euthanized or die from trauma, exposure, starvation or disease. By spaying or neutering your cat, you do your part to prevent this tragedy.

Another benefit is that spaying or neutering reduces or eliminates sexual behaviors in cats that people generally consider a nuisance. In most male cats, regardless of their age when neutered, neutering reduces roaming, urine spraying, and fights with neighborhood cats.

The plaintive howling of female cats in heat is eliminated. Overall, cats who are sexually intact are at greater risk of being relinquished to a shelter. Other than the previously mentioned behavior changes, spaying or neutering your cat is unlikely to change his or her basic personality, though male cats may become more docile following neutering. Both neutered males and spayed females have a tendency to gain weight due to a decrease in roaming and other sexual behavior. Animal shelters across the country are full of unwanted puppies.

This alarming figure means an average of three animals abandoned every five minutes in Spain. Spaying and neutering reduce the number of unwanted litters, which in turn helps reduce the number of unwanted pets or stray animals that enter shelters or kennels. These procedures also have specific health benefits that can help a dog or cat live a healthier and longer life, and can also minimize behavior problems coupled with heat.

Spaying your pet helps prevent serious health problems, such as breast cancer and pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection. Spaying male dogs helps prevent them from developing testicular cancer. Neutered male dogs are also generally less aggressive and less likely to stray from home.

On the other hand, some diseases, such as prostate cancer and certain orthopedic conditions, are slightly more common in dogs and cats that have been spayed or neutered. For most pet owners, the benefits of spaying or neutering their animals outweigh the disadvantages. The age to spay or neuter a pet can vary depending on the size of the pet, but in general terms, the procedure can be practiced from 4 months. Each owner should discuss their specific circumstances with their personal veterinarians, as there are several factors that can influence the timing of spaying and neutering.

Larger dog breeds tend to mature a little later than their smaller counterparts. So intervening too early could harm or interrupt their maturation, keeping them more childish. The situation in the home of an animal should also be considered, for example, if two cubs from the same litter live in the same home, they should be sterilized before the female goes into heat. If you only have one pet at home, the urge to castrate or spay will be much less, but you should pay attention to your animal when it is in heat and circulates freely.

Before your pet is going to be spayed or neutered, it is very important that your regular vet does a complete checkup to make sure it is free from health problems. The complete medical history of the pet should be provided as the underlying conditions or prescription medications may be relevant.