Hello, Amber, and welcome to my blog.I understand you want to tell us about a pet subject of yours today, and of course I mean that two ways.
First
of all, thank you so much Lorrie for hosting me today on your awesome blog.
It’s great to be here.
I
absolutely adore cats.
Currently, I am a mother to five furry ninjas who think
THEY own the house, and I just live there. Each of my kitties possesses their
own personality and they make my life crazy sometimes, but I’m not here to talk
about how wonderfully sweet they are (cough cough---mean little devils).
Instead, let’s talk about the best thing a pet owner can do for their pets:
spaying and neutering them.
But
what are spay/neuters, you might ask? Well, in a nutshell, spaying is the
removal of the ovaries and uterus from a female animal and neutering is the
removal of the testicles from the male animal. Spaying requires minimal
hospitalization and neutering is out-patient surgery.
There are several benefits of spaying. Female dogs
and cats no longer desire to roam about
in search of a mate as often as they once did. Even though most people believe
spaying eliminates an animal’s heat cycle, every spayed female dog or cat I cared for still went into heat, but
not as often and with less bad behavior. Spaying also reduces the risk
of mammary gland tumors and eliminates uterine and ovarian cancer, especially
if done before the first heat cycle which usually begins at the age of five or
six months. The animals are also less prone to urinary tract infections.
Spaying obviously reduces the number of unwanted puppies and kittens, which
saves thousands from ending up in high-kill shelters or from living a rough
life as an unwanted stray. Last but not least, spayed dogs and cats have the
opportunity to live healthier, longer lives.
The
benefits of neutering male dogs and cats are just as important. Neutered males
are less aggressive and they don’t spray as often, if at all, to mark their
territory. Neutered males are still able to perform sexually but they no longer
want or need the company of females as much as they once did. With a reduced
desire to roam, becoming injured in fights or auto accidents is less likely, as
well as being lost or stolen. There is also an eliminated risk of testicular
cancer and decreased risk of prostate disease. And, as with females, neutering
prevents unwanted puppies and kittens so the dogs and cats already alive in the
world have a better chance to live a longer, safer life.
The
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that shelters euthanize
around 4 million cats and dogs each year. That’s about an animal every eight
seconds or 70,000 a day. Even though that number sounds far too high,
statistics don’t lie. Plus, it costs taxpayers and private humanitarian
agencies approximately 2 billion dollars a year to capture/provide
shelter/food/medical treatment for these animals and to pay for the euthanasia
that claims their lives.
According to a HSUS report from 1973, 13 million animals were euthanized per year before the public became aware of the overpopulation problem and began spaying/neutering their pets. Even though the number has dropped, it’s not good enough.
Spaying
and neutering is cheap compared to the nationwide price of euthanasia listed
above. Depending on where you live and your income level, spays or neuters can
range from $60 to $100. Low income programs are available in most small towns
and large cities alike that offer surgery for free or at a very low cost.
Dexter
Dexter
The procedures are very safe. Licensed veterinarians
along with vet aids perform the surgeries after administering general
anesthesia to the animals. Your pets do not feel any pain but may experience
some soreness after the surgery which will last for just a few hours to a few
days. Ask the vet for medication if you are concerned about possible
discomfort.
Cats
and dogs are eligible for surgery at eight-weeks-old. Most females can have two
or three litters a year, anywhere from one to ten babies per litter (or more!),
and the males can impregnate as many un-spayed females as they can find. Just
think about those numbers! Since cats can become pregnant as young as five
months old, and dogs as young as six months old, it’s best to schedule the
appointment as soon as possible. Remember, the younger the animal is, the
faster he/she will heal.
If
you have female pets that recently gave birth, wait until she weaned the babies
before spaying her. It’s possible that the nursing mother could become pregnant
again so it’s a good idea to keep her away from unneutered males. Or you could
just get the males neutered, and then get her spayed at a later date!
If
you believe she will become pregnant again before she weaned the litter, a vet
can perform a ‘Flank Spay’, which is more expensive and intrusive than a
regular spay. Instead of removing the reproductive organs from an incision in
the lower abdomen (where the milk ducts are), a vet can remove them on the left
side of the cat’s body. That way, the lactating momma can still nurse without
her babies possibly causing damage to her healing incision. Otherwise, she may
refuse to nurse them and then the babies could starve, if not given milk
supplements.
You
can also spay a cat or dog if she’s pregnant. During surgery, the vet removes
the uterus and embryos, hence terminating the pregnancy. That’s a tough choice
to make but with all the unwanted animals out there, and the difficult process
it is to find good, caring homes, it might be the best choice. Anyhow, it’s
your decision to make.
Remember,
dogs and cats are warm-blooded animals just like humans. Sexually frustration
is common for them and they’ll do anything, even escape from their nice, safe
home to find a mate. (So spaying/neutering is a good idea, just in case.)
On
a side note… For all the stubborn men out there (you know who you are), it
isn’t true that your male dog is ‘less of a man’ if neutered. In fact, your dog
should feel lucky! He can have all the fun he wants and not worry about paying
for puppy support.
I’m
a firm believer in sterilizing pets (as you’ve probably guessed) and I hope
that you are to.
For more information about Spays and Neuters
Everyone
should do his or her duty to take care of their pets and prevent more babies
from being born. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. There just
aren’t enough loving homes or kind-enough people to take in every puppy or
kitten born or to adopt an aging animal who needs love in his/hers twilight
years. There are also many adoptable animals surrendered to shelters because
their families can no longer provide. These healthy adults, even the sterilized
ones, face little hope of finding a new home in a world where many people just
don’t care.
Thanks
for reading.
http://spayusa.org/benefits.php
Okay, Amber, time to show us your book cover.
After
two disastrous London seasons, Susanna Lorican received a marriage proposal
from a neighborhood friend, an esteemed Viscount, which saved her family from
society gossip. She had adored him since childhood but never expected the man
of her dreams to reciprocate the feelings. Susanna soon planned the perfect Christmas
Eve wedding but never expected a snowstorm to barrel through the English
countryside on the morning of the nuptials.
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About the Author
Books
to Go Now published my first novella, Forever
Winter, in March 2013. As a debut author, I find that promoting is more
time-consuming than actually writing. Several author friends have shared that
knowledge with me before but I never really understood what they meant until
recently.
My
mind is a wonderland of romance, laughter and really awesome ways of kicking a
guy when he’s down. Writing is my passion and I probably wouldn’t be too sane
without it. After all, what’s a girl to do when there are people jabbering away
in her head and there’s no way to shut them up? Write! That’s the only answer I found that works.
I
live in the lovely foothills of North Carolina with my supportive husband and
five adorable little kitties! I work in retail but I’d love to write full-time
someday. My hobbies include hiking, gardening, reading (of course!),
scrapbooking, and watching movies or TV shows.
I
love hearing from readers. Feel free to drop me a line!
Feel free to offer your comments to Amber. Besides, we love comments.
Leave yours for Amber below.
Thanks for the opportunity to stop by your blog. I cried a bit writing this post but it was also lots of fun. I hope the subject moves people like it does me.
ReplyDeleteI"m sure many will agree with you, Amber. And it's my pleasure having you on my blog. I know a few people with this subject near to their hearts, too.
ReplyDeleteHave to go to the Friday organic market (can´t live without my salad greens from Gaby) but I'll be back with a Mexican viewpoint on the subject. Here the problem is magnified many fold.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Amber.
Hi Maria!
DeleteThanks for commenting. Even though over pet population is bad here, I'm sure it is much worse elsewhere. I'd love to hear you viewpoint.
My Spook is a carbon copy of your Darby and Dexter. I'm amazed at how many identical black cats are in the world. They must be a prolific lot, so urging neutering and spaying is a good thing. Of course, every cat has its own unique personality.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your romance novel. It's just the right level of sweet for my taste.
Hi Marva!
DeleteDarby and Dex are like twins most of the time. They're both boys and look alike except that Dex is a little bigger and he had 7 tiny white spots on his left side. Both of them are whiners and total babies. It's strange, the girls are so well-behaved but not the boys!
Spook sounds adorable!!! I love black cats so much!
Thanks for the luck! I had a blast writing my novella!
For anyone who is interested, my debut novella, Forever Winter, is FREE right now on Amazon! The promo lasts until tomorrow night.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Forever-Winter-ebook/dp/B00C2DWLWI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=T6L6J4JOF43H&coliid=I3T6A0LLMTZL4