February is Prevent A Litter Month! This is the single best way for animal lovers to help fight pet overpopulation, which is a huge and ongoing animal welfare issue. In this article, a Bellaire, TX vet discusses the importance of getting your dog or cat fixed.

The Numbers

Dogs go into heat as young as five months, and can have two litters a year. Given that the typical litter size ranges between five and ten puppies, it isn’t hard to see how quickly our canine pals multiply. A single pair of pups can have as many as 67,000 descendants in just six years! As for our feline buddies, they can go into heat at just four months old. Every year, one cat can give birth to about three litters of about four to six kittens each. Two intact felines can have a whopping 2, 072, 514 descendants in just eight years. This data very much plays a role in a very sad set of statistics: the numbers of homeless pets. There may be as many as 70 million homeless pets in the United States alone.

The Procedure

Getting Fluffy or Fido fixed is a very routine procedure, one that is performed tens of thousands of times each year. While it can be worrying to know that your furry buddy is having an operation, complications are very rare. Your vet will give you instructions to help your dog or cat recover. Follow these to the letter! Speaking of recovery time, it takes longer for girls than boys. Male cats are usually pretty much healed within a few days. Females also bounce back pretty quickly, though it takes about two weeks for them to completely heal.

Benefits

Preventing unwanted litters may be the point of this blog, but it’s not the only reason to get your pet fixed. Spaying and neutering also helps curb unwanted behaviors, such as spraying, mounting, and trying to escape. (Cat owners will also be spared their furballs’ singing, which is reason enough in and of itself.) Pets that have been fixed are also less inclined to aggression. Last but not least, your furry pal will also have reduced or eliminated risk of developing certain health problems. Ask your vet for more information.

Do you need to schedule spay/neuter surgery for your pet? Contact us, your local Bellaire, TX animal clinic, today!