Pet care and behaviour help topics

Spaying or neutering your dog, cat or rabbit doesn’t just help prevent accidental litters. It also has health and behavioural benefits for your pet.

Benefits of spaying and neutering your pet

Generally, neutering decreases aggressive behaviours in pets

• Neutered dogs are calmer and less likely to bite, attack or get into dog fights.
• Neutered cats and rabbits don’t have the drive to mark and protect their territories and are less likely to spray or get into fights, resulting in fewer injuries.

Spaying ends the heat cycle in females

• Heat cycles are usually twice a year for dogs, and result in many unwanted behavioural changes including possible aggression.
• Cats generally go in and out of heat every three weeks between January and November.
• Female cats in heat can howl relentlessly, may try to escape to mate, spray or urinate inappropriately and attract unwanted male cats.

Spaying and neutering lowers the chance of reproductive health problems

• Studies show that spayed/neutered pets, on average, live longer.
• Spaying eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer and pyometra (life-threatening infection of the uterus) in dogs, cats, and rabbits. Up to 80% of unspayed rabbits will develop uterine cancer.
• Spaying reduces the risk of mammary cancer in cats, dogs, and rabbits.
• Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer in all species and lowers the risk of prostate problems in male dogs.

Spaying and neutering eliminates the drive to reproduce

• The likelihood of your male pet wandering away or escaping will be decreased.
• Male dogs can smell a female in heat up to a kilometre away.
• Once neutered, your pet will be less frustrated and may become a calmer companion.

Spaying and neutering provides an opportunity to have other important procedures performed

• Other procedures, as necessary, can also be done at the time of the operation.
• This includes procedures such as an identification tattoo or microchip, teeth cleaning, hernia repair and baby teeth removal.

Spaying and neutering prevents accidental pregnancies

• Research shows that the majority of cat pregnancies are unintended.
• Pregnancy is hard on the mom physically. Prenatal care, birth complications, and puppy/kitten care can be costly.

Spaying and neutering helps your community

• Research shows that, as an individual, you help reduce overpopulation issues in your community when you spay or neuter your pet.
• Spaying and neutering your pet helps reduce the number of stray or unwanted animals in your community.
• Reducing the amount of stray animals helps prevent other pets and wildlife from being injured or killed in fights.
• Fixing your pet helps lessen the amount of stray animals getting into or causing car accidents, getting into garbage cans and damaging property.

Learn how fixing your cat helps combat the cat overpopulation problem and how you can take action in your community.

But aren’t there also some risks to spaying and neutering?

Yes, any surgical procedure carries some risks. However, the overall benefit outweighs the risk for most animals. Talk to your veterinarian about the best choice for your pet.

• Risks of surgery and anesthesia include pain, bleeding, infection, the incision opening up, or a bad reaction to the drugs used.
• Spaying and neutering removes reproductive hormones from your pet’s body. This has many benefits but also has minor effects on bone development and other body systems.
• Several recent studies show higher rates of some bone and joint problems and cancers in purebred dogs spayed and neutered as puppies. These studies have attracted a lot of attention.
• The studies involved small numbers of dogs who were already predisposed to the problems being studied because of their breeds. More research is needed to understand these risks.
• If you are concerned about risks of spaying and neutering, don’t just consult the internet. Talk to your veterinarian about what is best for your pet.

I still have questions about spaying and neutering

Shouldn’t a female cat/dog have a litter before being spayed?
Will spaying/neutering change my pets personality?
Will my pet become fat/lazy once it is fixed?
What does spay or neuter mean?
When should my cat/dog/animal be fixed?
What does it cost to spay/neuter my cat/dog/animal?

Find out more about the benefits of sterilizing your pet and how February is spay/neuter awareness month.

Start with determining their age, then decide if you should leave them with mom, take them in, or call the BC SPCA. If they are very young, it’s safest to leave them in place until you can determine whether their mom is still caring for them. If you do take them in, their care will depend on their age.

Learn when to wait, when to act and how to care for kittens you find, watch our video:

What is toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a tiny parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. It can infect both cats and people, but most healthy animals and people won’t get sick because their immune systems will protect them.

How toxoplasmosis is transmitted to humans

Most people who get toxoplasmosis get it from eating undercooked meat or unwashed produce. Because cats only shed the parasite for the first few days after becoming infected, infection from cats is rare.

• Handling and/or eating raw or undercooked food
• Handling and/or eating unwashed fruits and vegetables
• Drinking unpasteurized milk
• Eating or drinking from contaminated sources
• Being exposed to cat feces from their litter box
• Being exposed to gardens or sandboxes that may have cat feces in them

Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy

Pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are more at risk for infection. If a pregnant woman becomes infected, her baby may have health problems.

Can pregnant women be around cats?

Yes, pregnant women can be around their cats, though there are some precautions to take:

• Do not change your cat’s litter. If you have to change the cat’s litter yourself, make sure you wear gloves and thoroughly wash your hands after
• Do not interact with any unknown cats
• Keep your cat inside
• Don’t feed any raw or undercooked meat to your cat

Still concerned about your pet and your baby?

• If you have more questions or concerns about toxoplasmosis and your baby’s health, please talk to your doctor.
• If you are concerned about toxoplasmosis and your pet’s health, please talk to your veterinarian.

Allowing a female cat or dog to produce a litter does not have any benefits to the animal. Animals who go through heat cycles and pregnancy are at higher risk for uterine and mammary problems, including mammary cancer, which can be fatal.

There are health risks to the mother during the pregnancy and when giving birth. Proper pre-natal care, emergency care for birth complications, and proper newborn care are expensive and time-consuming.

Learn more about the benefits of spaying and neutering your pet.

Most unintentional litters (particularly with cats) occur because guardians waited too long to have the surgery done. The usual recommendation is before six months of age for cats, and before six and a half months for dogs. Consult your veterinarian to determine the best time for your pet. Female cats and dogs do not have to have a litter before being fixed.

The BC SPCA supports early age spay/neuter procedures for dogs and cats. Pediatric sterilization prevents excess litters by ensuring animals are sterilized before adoption. This helps combat pet overpopulation and euthanasia of unwanted animals. All major professional, academic, and animal welfare organizations in North America support pediatric spay/neuter for shelter animals.

The BC SPCA will continue to promote other methods of combating pet overpopulation, including education and public awareness campaigns, non-surgical methods of sterilization, traditional spay/neuter initiatives and behaviour training.

The BC SPCA believes pediatric spay/neuter to be appropriate with the following qualifications:

• The procedure takes place between 8 and 16 weeks of age
• The animal is judged to be clinically normal and healthy prior to surgery
• Proper surgical protocols specific to these young animals are employed
• Post-surgery complications receive special attention