Cats and dogs are loving pets that provide companionship and affection to many people across Australia.  Tragically however, each year, RSPCA shelters take in around 160,000 animals nationally, many of which are the result of unplanned breeding.  Desexing is an effective strategy to prevent these unwanted pregnancies.

Aside from preventing accidental litters, there are many health and behavioural benefits to desexing.

• Desexed animals are generally less likely to get diseases and certain illnesses such as mammary cancer and uterine infections in females and prostate problems in males.
• Desexing commonly reduces behaviour problems such as roaming, aggression and urine marking in males.
• In females it prevents mating behaviour and false pregnancy. Reducing the desire to roam also reduces the risk of being in a traumatic accident such as being hit by a car.

RSPCA view 

The RSPCA practices early age desexing from the age of eight weeks, when the surgery is simple and the recovery is rapid. This ensures cats and dogs cannot produce any unwanted/unplanned litters, reducing the number of unwanted companion animals in the community and thus the number of animals entering shelters and pounds. This will in turn help to reduce high euthanasia rates.