Neutering Your Pet

Neutering lowdown

Neutering can help reduce the huge number of unwanted pets, prevent illnesses and some unwanted behaviours.

• Female animals are spayed – this means the womb and the ovaries are removed.

• Male animals are castrated – this means the testicles are removed.

Neutering lowdown

• Operations should be straightforward - they are carried out under general anaesthetic and animals usually recover quickly.

• Neutering shouldn’t mean that your pets will put on weight- your vet will be able to offer appropriate advice on diet following the operation.

Benefits of neutering

Neutering has many benefits that apply not only to dogs and cats but also to other small animals such as rabbits

 and ferrets. 

Neutering prevents female animals coming into season, when they may attract unwanted male attention, become

pregnant or have false pregnancies.

Benefits of neutering

Neutering prevents the risk of testicular cancer in male animals and

uterus infections and cancers in females.

 In male dogs and cats, neutering can

reduce behaviours such as urine marking and roaming.

 Unspayed female animals can be

messy when they come into season - during this time, females can bleed for

up to three weeks.

Benefits of neutering

Animals don’t respect family relationships - siblings will mate. This increases the risk of offspring being born with

birth defects and deformities. 

If animals are neutered, this reduces the risk of them being stolen for breeding.

 

If an unneutered pet becomes pregnant and there is a problem during or after the birth, vet fees can be very

expensive. Offspring might need veterinary attention too. 

Benefits of neutering

Owners have a legal responsibility to meet all of their animal’s needs under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Pregnant and nursing animals need even more care and their offspring will be equally as demanding. When the

young are ready to be rehomed, you also need to ensure that they are vaccinated, wormed and flea treated, which

you will also need to be able to afford. 

In 2011 we neutered 82,812 animals

Talk to your vet

• You do not need to let an animal have one litter first. Pets can be

neutered before having any litters.

•Your vet will be able to offer further advice on the best time to

neuter your pet.

• Check the cost with your vet. This will depend on the species, size and sex of your pet.

Benefits of neutering

More informationCase studies

Read about just some of the abandoned young animals from unwanted litters.

 Our pledges

We have launched five pledges to improve the lives of animals in England and Wales over the next five years.

Thank You

For more information visit the RSPCA