Myth: My pet is going to get fat and lazy.
Reality: The truth is that most overweight and lazy pets are because their owners feed them too much and don't give them enough exercise.
Myth: It's better to have a litter before sterilizing.
Fact: Medical tests indicate just the opposite. In fact, evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier.
Mito: Quiero que mis hijos tengan la experiencia del milagro de nacimiento.
Reality: If children are able to see a pet give birth - which is unlikely, as it always happens usually at night and in solitude - what they are really going to learn is the opposite... you learn that animals can be created, and discarded, as appropriate for adults. Instead, you should explain to children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.
Mito: Quiero que mi perro sea guardián y la esterilización lo va a evitar.
Realidad: Castrar o esterilizar no afecta el instinto natural de perros para proteger el hogar y la familia. La personalidad de un perro está formada más por la genética y el ambiente que por las hormonas sexuales.
Mito: No quiero esterilizar porque mi mascota es de raza pura.
Realidad: Uno de cada cuatro perros o gatos llevados a refugios de animales son de raza. Hay demasiados perros y gatos abandonados de raza pura y mestizos.
Myth: I don't want my male dog or cat to feel diminished as a male.
Reality: Pets have no concept of sexual identity or ego. Spaying and neutering will not change the basic personality of a pet. It does not suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when it is spayed or neutered.
Myth: But my dog (or cat) is so special. I want your puppy (or kitten) to be like him or her.
Reality: A dog or cat can be a great pet, but that does not mean that its offspring will be an exact copy. In fact, a litter of puppies or kittens could all receive (and their partners) the worst characteristics.
Myth: It is very expensive to sterilize.
Reality: There are many affordable options. Check prices with organizations. Spaying is a one-time cost, a relatively small cost compared to the cost of having a litter and watching over the health of the mother and litter; two months of pregnancy and another two months until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary expenses especially if complications arise.
Mito: Yo encontraré buenos hogares para todos los cachorros y gatitos.
Realidad: Usted puede encontrar un buen hogar para todas las camadas de su mascota. Sin embargo, cada casa que encuentra significa un hogar menos para los perros o gatos que tienen en los refugios o están en las calles y que necesitan un buen hogar. Además de eso, en menos de un año, cada una de las crías de su mascota pueden tener una camada de ellos. El problema de la sobrepoblación es creado y perpetuo. Otra posibilidad es el abandono, no siempre los animales están en buenas manos ya que se trata de una vida que va a depender totalmente de su familia durante más de diez años.
Information based on the SPCA
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