5 Benefits of Sterilizing your Fur Baby

February is National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, so I thought I’d share some of the benefits of sterilizing your fur baby.  Many will jump right to the benefit of reducing overpopulation and the suffering that accompanies this problem, but this post will focus on the benefits directly for you and your fur baby.

Behavioral Benefits

• Your fur baby won’t go into heat!  That means no bouts of howling to attract a mate, no urine marking around the house, and no messy bleeding!
• Your fur baby is less likely to roam away from home.  The mating instinct is strong and if your fur baby is unsterilized you risk them going off to find a mate.  Worse off they may attract mates into your yard when you have no intention of breeding.
• Neutered males tend to be less aggressive, and less likely to mount your guest’s leg or your furniture!

Health Benefits

• Spaying prevents uterine infections and reduces the chance of mammary gland tumors.  To get the most protection from this benefit you need to spay your fur baby prior to her first heat cycle.
• Neutering prevents testicular cancer and even reduces some prostate issues.

We all love our fur babies and sometimes imagine what it would be like to have a mini version running around.  Remember though, each animal will have their own personality so the odds of getting a “mini-me” that looks and acts the same is not likely.  So, let’s do what’s best for our fur baby instead.  Longer, healthier life?  Avoiding unwanted behaviors?  Sterilization is a win-win and it’s never too late.  If your fur baby is over 8 weeks old and you haven’t already had him/her sterilized, what are you waiting for?  Talk to your vet today about scheduling this simple procedure!

How old was your fur baby at sterilization? Did you go to your local vet or animal shelter?