There is nothing cruel with being sensible. And unless there are very strong reasons for wanting your cat or dog to have a litter, the kind and sensible thing to do is to have it sterilised.

This operation is simple, painless and safe. In the long run it is better for everybody, including the animal.

It will make your life easier by not having to look after many unwanted pets and there are already too many unwanted animals in this world.

What problems would I have if my male dogs were not sterilised?

Male dogs cannot resist going courting when the opportunity occurs and in the process all sorts of disasters may happen. They get into fights with other dogs; wander about in the traffic and either hurt themselves or cause nasty accidents.

On the other hand, if you keep a hot-blooded dog indoors, he can turn his frustrations to pieces of furniture, or even people.

What problems would I have with an unsterilised female dog?

A female dog comes on heat twice yearly, each time for a period of three weeks. This is likely to continue for as long as she lives. This not only makes her messy, it also means scores of visiting dogs clustering around your front door.

She is also likely to escape and become pregnant no matter how much care is taken. Finding good homes for a whole litter of puppies can be difficult.

Would I have problems with an unsterilised tom-cat?

Yes, because tom-cats have one of the most unpleasant habits of all - spraying. This means they mark out their territory by urinating upon it, and the unpleasant smell can be extremely difficult to get rid of.

Male cats are also some of the greatest wanderers and almost impossible to keep indoors. Their constant escapades nearly always lead to cat fights and these in turn can produce infected wounds, abcesses and serious illness.

How about the problems of a female cat?

As with a female dog, a female cat in season will attract a continual host of admirers. A cat can have three pregnancies a year and up to five or six kittens in each litter.

How will the animal benefit from sterilisation?

A domestic animal can really suffer from the effects of its biological urges.

As explained earlier, the desires themselves lead the males into all sorts of aggressive behaviour and in both sexes, frustration can actually involve in illness.

How will sterilisation help the over-population problem?

Thousands of puppies and kittens are born every year. Many of these will not find homes and will eventually have to be distroyed.

If every pet owner assumes a responsible attitude and does not allow their animal to breed then the present number of stray and unwanted animals would fall dramatically.

What does the operation consist of?

In a female animal, "spaying" consists of removing the womb and ovaries. The technical term is ovaro-hysterectomy.

For the male, just the testicles are removed, and this is known as castration.

Does it hurt?

The operation is done under general anaesthetic, and is therefore completely painless.

The process is a simple one and the animals recover quickly. At the most, your pet will experience a very mild discomfort.

When should it be done?

A pet can be successfully sterilised at any time in its life. However, to remove the risk of unwanted pregnancies it should be done at the earliest possible age from 12 weeks old.

Shouldn't a female have one litter first?

Like many outdated theories, this one is nothing more than a myth.

There is no good reason for letting a female dog or cat produce a litter, and the normal health risks involved in birth and pregnancy mean it can actually be harmful.

Won't it make my animal fat?

No. not in itself. An animal only gets fat from overeating. However, a sterilised animal may not need as much food as before and you should keep an eye on what you are giving it.

Will it change my pet's personality?

For a female there will be virtually no change at all.

In the case of the male its certainly going to change it a small amount, for all the reasons mentioned earlier.

These changes are always for the better in that the animal will become less determined to wander off on its own.

After all this, what will it cost?

A large dog will cost more than a small dog. And if your pet is overweight this can also add to the cost.

Charges for sterilising operations depend on many factors so you must contact your own veterinany surgeon to get an idea of the cost involved.

So, how do I go about it?

Once you have decided to have your pet sterilised, you should go along and see your veterinary surgeon. He or she will be happy to tell you everything you want to know, and will give you details about costs and possible dates for the operation. Then you can just go ahead and make an appointment. After that you can relax in the knowledge that you really have made the best decision for your pet.