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World Spay Day 2015-Why It’s Important to Have Your Pets Spayed or Neutered

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The Importance of Spaying and Neutering Cats, a Guest Post by Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States

As a child, every birthday and holiday I begged for a cat, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I finally got one. I eagerly adopted four month old Shasta from a friend whose cat had kittens. Oops! My friend wasn’t planning on her cat having a litter of kittens, but didn’t get around to spaying her cat in time.

Shasta, Nancy's first cat
Photo Courtesy of HSUS

It didn’t take long to fall in love with my beautiful gray Shasta, and I often shared stories about her with my work colleague Susan, who had six cats and was a fount of kitty information. After a while, I began to suspect that Shasta was in heat, but Susan would disagree. Finally, I came in one day and announced, “Oh, my goodness. Shasta is in heat.” Susan nodded yes and smiled.

If you’ve ever lived with a cat in heat, you know it’s not fun. She’ll be calling loudly for a male cat, rolling around on the floor, and constantly rubbing against furniture or your leg. Cats have multiple heat cycles during breeding season, which is affected by geographic factors, temperature and number of daylight hours. She’ll be in heat and accept a male for three to 16 days. If she doesn’t become pregnant, she’ll keep coming into heat every two to three weeks until she mates or the amount of daylight decreases.

If I would have known then what I know now, I would have spayed Shasta before she came into heat. I certainly wasn’t planning on breeding her, but I didn’t realize that a cat could go into heat and become pregnant as young as four to five months of age. I also didn’t know that cats who are spayed before their first heat have a decreased risk of mammary tumors or that female cats who aren’t spayed could get pyometra, a potentially fatal uterine infection. Caring for a cat with pyometra can cost way more than the cost of a routine spay surgery.

Shasta cuddles in the warm laundry. 
Photo Courtesy of HSUS

When I adopted Shasta in 1974, it was common to wait until cats were six months old to spay or neuter. Nowadays, due to several advances in medicine, many animal shelters spay and neuter cats before they’re adopted, even as young as two months old or two pounds.

Neutering male cats before they can reproduce is important too. Male cats can reach puberty between four and six months of age. Living with a male cat who isn’t neutered is no picnic either. Your un-neutered male cat may try to escape the house to find a mate and spray urine. Also, once males start spraying, it’s a habit they might continue. If he’s neutered before puberty kicks in, the urge to mark territory by spraying urine is more likely to be nipped in the bud. Un-neutered male cats also have a higher chance of prostate cancer, whereas neutered male cats have a zero chance of getting testicular cancer.

In addition to helping individual cats, spaying and neutering is very important for combating cat overpopulation. According to The Humane Society of the United States, on an annual national average, 70-75 percent of cats entering animal shelters are euthanized. The reasons include lack of resources to care for cats who are too young, too old, sick, aggressive, and so on. Some heartbroken owners who don’t know that many cat behavior problems can be solved surrender their cats. Then there are community (feral and stray) cats who produce about 80 percent of the kittens born each year. Only two percent of community cats are sterilized and they are the most significant source of cat overpopulation. Check out The HSUS website to learn about and find help for community cats in your area.

So, what keeps people from spaying and neutering their cats in a timely manner? Well, they may not realize how early a cat can become pregnant, or that a cat who is nursing kittens can become pregnant as soon as two weeks after giving birth. They also may not realize that 10 percent of female cats go back into heat between the third and sixth week of pregnancy, possibly resulting in litters of different ages.

There are lots of myths surrounding spay and neuter. Some people may think that it’s best to let their female cat have at least one litter or that spaying and neutering will change their cat’s personality or make him or her fat and lazy. Not so. If anything, intact cats who reach puberty are ruled by their hormones, kind of like human teenagers, whereas spayed and neutered cats are calmer and easier to live with. Other people may put off spaying and neutering because they’re concerned about the cost of the procedures. Fortunately there are lots of high quality, low-cost spay and neuter options for pet cats.

 Shasta
Photo Courtesy of HSUS

If you’re thinking of adopting a cat or two, your local animal shelter or rescue group will be happy to introduce you to cats of all shapes, sizes, and personalities. In addition to getting a great pet who is likely already spayed or neutered, you’ll be saving a precious life.

I wish someone had clued me in on all the benefits of spaying and neutering cats before they are able to reproduce. But once I knew, you can bet my subsequent cats were spayed and neutered as soon as possible. Please be sure that you beat the heat by getting the job done earlier rather than later.

Royal Canin® Introduces National You Share, We Give Campaign to Support Introduction of New SPAYED/NEUTERED™ Feline Formulas

Hi my furiends! It's Cody!

 Today I am here to share some catabulous news from Royal Canin!

 As many of you know, I am on a restricted diet, due to allergies, and I am only permitted to eat Royal Canin Veterinary Rabbit formula, but I digress, here is the news from Royal Canin!

 Spaying and neutering can be a hot issue for many pet owners. And with 88 percent of US pet cats being spayed or neutered, owners seem to understand its benefits – longer lifespan, better disposition, prevention of unwanted litters and more. What most don’t realize is that the procedure also causes metabolic and hormonal changes that lead to a decrease in energy and an increase in appetite, putting cats at a 3.4 times higher risk for obesity.

For the first time in the U.S., there’s  a nutritional solution for spayed and neutered cats that helps keep appetite and weight in check. Royal Canin, a science-based pet food company, has created the new SPAYED/NEUTERED line of foods, which includes formulas with controlled fat levels, appetite control and added antioxidants for aging support.

As part of the introduction, Royal Canin is partnering with certified pet behaviorist and author Steve Dale and the American Humane Association to educate owners on the lesser-known effects of spaying and neutering, and also help fund feline research in the future. Fans on www.Facebook.com/RoyalCanin.US will be able to share the  infographic above in exchange for a free sample of SPAYED/NEUTERED food and a donation to American Humane.

So kitties! What are you waiting for? Go over to www.Facebook.com/RoyalCanin.US
and get your FREE SAMPLE NOW!


Rabbit-flavored kisses,
Cody

I was not compensated for this post. I love (and eat) Royal Canin and wanted to help spread the word after my friends at Royal Canin  contacted me asking if I would share this information with you!

Make a Life-Saving Decision: Get Your Pet Spayed or Neutered, Guest Post by Nooters Club, AND A FREE OFFER!

You may have been putting off the decision to get your dog or cat spayed or neutered.  The time to make the decision is now, before an “accident” makes you a contributor to one of the worst and saddest truths about pet overpopulation in the U.S.

Nooters Club® talks to pet guardians from around the U.S. The number one reason for NOT having a pet sterilized?   It goes something like this:  “Gee it would be fun to have just one litter.”  Or, “We want our kids to see puppies or kittens being born.” 

Before you start thinking about those cute puppies or kitties, please consider this,  according to the Humane Society of the United States, each year in the U.S. about  4 million puppies, kittens, cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and other pets are euthanized due to shelter overcrowding.   This happens in every state, in every community and in every animal shelter with few exceptions.   

Nooters Club Magnet

For the majority of pets that enter an animal shelter, it is the end of their lives.  Most of these animals are not “feral” strays, but pets that were born unwanted or are just unlucky enough to have been given up by their families for any number of reasons.   Some of these pets end up being picked up off the street after being left to fend for themselves; others have been dropped off at a shelter like one would drop off unwanted household items at the local charity  thrift store.   

If you think having a litter at your house would be fun, instead, make a trip to your local shelter.  Most of the better ones will be happy to give you a tour.     Chances are you will see more litters than you ever imagined. 

So for whatever reason you have been putting off getting your pet spayed or neutered, do it this year.  Not only will you be making sure that you are not bringing unwanted puppies or kittens into the world, but your pet will be better adjusted and healthier as sterilization significantly reduces the risk of many cancers and other health concerns.

If finances are tight, ask your veterinarian about payment and credit plans.  Or consider one of the many reduced-cost, high-volume spay and neuter clinics that have opened around the U.S.  Most of them charge an average of $50 (varies with dog or cat /male or female – so could be less or could be more).  See the Nooters Club® national spay/neuter  directory at www.nootersclub.org for clinic locations in just about all 50 states.  If you cannot find a clinic near you, email me at Lindaw@nootersclub.org and I will find one in your area.       

I have the same shirt! :)

If that’s not good enough, we’ll even give you the shirt off our back!!  Be among the first 10 pet guardians to let us know that you got your pet spayed or neutered in 2011 and Nooters Club® will send you a FREE adult t-shirt.  Just email me at Lindaw@nootersclub.org with proof that your pet was fixed in 2011 (scanned copy of documentation signed by a veterinarian) along with choice of size (small, medium, large or X-L).  Be sure to mention you heard about it on CAT CHAT!

NOOTERS Club® Nationwide Spay/Neuter Resource List Tops 100

Pet owners looking for affordable sterilization for their pets now have access to more than 100 low-cost, high-quality spay and neuter clinics around the U.S., courtesy of NOOTERS Club® which compiles and posts a comprehensive online clinic directory.

The NOOTERS Club® spay and neuter clinic directory, posted at http://www.nootersclub.org/, includes 115 facilities in 43 states offering reduced cost, high-quality spay and neuter services for dogs and cats.  Most clinics are run by rescue groups, shelters and humane societies.  The directory features clinic website links, phone numbers and information on clinic services and pet owner eligibility.  Some clinics, for example, post household income requirements.  The directory also includes a number of state-specific spay and neuter hotlines that put pet owners in touch with additional spay and neuter resources.

By posting the directory, NOOTERS Club® is hoping to provide pet owners with access to resources they otherwise might not have.   Low- cost spay and neuter clinics, typically run by nonprofit organizations, can be difficult to locate as they have little money for advertising and promotion.

“We get dozens of emails and calls every week from people who want to do the right thing for their pet, but lack the financial resources,” said Linda Wasche, founder and president of NOOTERS Club®.  “Often times, pet owners simply don’t know where to go so we are trying to bridge that gap.”

Pet owners should contact clinics on the list directly if they have questions or would like more information on clinic services, appointments times or eligibility.

Prevent Littering is a registered trademark of NOOTERS Club® and Nooterwear, inc.  NOOTERS Club®, based in Sylvan Lake, Michigan, participates in pet-related events and expos around the U.S. and sells its products nationwide as well as in the United Kingdom.

Low-cost spay and neuter clinics that would like to have their facilities included in the directory should email the name of the clinic, web address, contact name and phone number to Lindaw@nootersclub.org