Why Spay & Neuter

Why Spay or Neuter Your Cat

Unwanted animals have become a very real concern in Santa Barbara.  As pet lovers, it is our responsibility to understand the impact of the decisions we make for our pets. Cats are 45 times more prolific than humans.  If we were to spay 44 females for every one queen that continued to reproduce, the current cat to human ratio would remain stable.  Anything less than that allows the explosion in pet overpopulation (population pyramid) to continue.

Every year 3 to 4 million animals in shelters are euthanized for population control.  Although you might think that you would never contribute to shelter overpopulation, the reality is that, tragically, the 3 to 4 million euthanized are just as likely to be the offspring of cherished pets as strays.  Please make sure your pet’s offspring won’t be counted among those numbers!  Spay or neuter your pets now.

Altering an animal can also be beneficial for its overall health and your peace of mind:

  • An altered cat or other pet will be less likely to roam sometimes far from home and become lost.
  • An altered cat or other pet will be less likely to get into fights, often resulting in expensive veterinarian bills.
  • An altered pet will have a reduced risk of testicular, mammary, and ovarian cancers.
  • An altered male cat will be less likely to spray and exhibit territorial behavior which can get you into trouble with your neighbor’s pets. We have all been woken up by tomcats calling through the night and loud cat fights.
  • A queen (intact female cat) can produce three litters of 2 to 8 kittens each a year, the offspring of the first litter will be able to reproduce before the end of the same year, so it is easy to see how “cat math” can easily get out of control and how one single intact queen can be responsible for so many kittens.
  • If you do not have the financial means to afford the surgery, there are many agencies throughout the County that can assist you with a low cost or free spay/neuter surgery.  These agencies include Santa Barbara County Animal Services in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria. the three County Humane Societies located in Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez and Santa Maria, and C.A.R.E.4 PAWS in Santa Barbara.
  • You should also be aware that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors passed a Spay/Neuter Ordinance for the unincorporated areas of the County, requiring that all cats and dogs be altered by the age of 6 months unless you obtain a certificate of exemption from your veterinarian. The city of Santa Barbara has adopted a similar ordinance and other cities through the County will also consider spay/neuter ordinances throughout 2011.

Pet Overpopulation and Overcrowding in Shelters Results in the Senseless Killing of Animals. Spay or Neuter Your Pet and Become Part of the Solution.