Pet Desexing
Desexing helps make cats and dogs less aggressive and easier to control. The City of Sydney recommends that pets be desexed if they are not intended for breeding.
Why should you desex your dogs and cats?
Each year in Australia tens of thousands of healthy, friendly dogs and cats are euthanased (put to sleep) in animal shelters and veterinary clinics because there are not enough homes for them.
One female cat and her off-spring can breed over a period of 7 years adding 420,000 new cats!!
Don’t contribute to the tragic loss of life that results from pet over breeding, desex your dogs and cats as soon as possible.
Did you know that cats can fall pregnant at four months of age and dogs at 5 months of age?
Many cats and dogs are born “by mistake” because owners don’t get around to desexing them in time.
The solution to this problem is to have your cats and dogs desexed before they have a chance to breed. Booking them in for desexing at the time you adopt or purchase them is a great idea, that way you won’t forget later.
Better still, save a life and adopt your new pet from a welfare organisation Blacktown City Council’s Animal Holding Facility, RSPCA or The Cat Protection Society, that way your new puppy or kitten will already be desexed with the cost of the heavily discounted desexing operation included in a your adoption fee.
What are the Benefits of Desexing?
Not only will desexing your dog and cat help reduce the problem of pet over population there are also positive behavioural and health benefits.
A desexed pet WILL:
- Be less likely to develop aggressive tendencies toward people and other animals
- Be less likely to mark its territory
- Be less prone to wander
- Be less prone to develop certain types of cancers
- Cost you significantly less in Council registration fees
There are many myths about desexing but in reality there are no negatives to you or your pet.
A desexed pet WILL NOT:
- Become fat or lazy - this only happens from lack of exercise and too much food, it has nothing to do with the desexing operation.
- Lose their personality - your pet will most likely be a little calmer after the operation, other than that he or she will be exactly the same.
- Experience ongoing pain for weeks after the operation - of course the area will be tender, but only for a few days. Your pet will bounce back once the healing process is completed. The vet or welfare organisation will provide all the important after care information when you collect your pet after the surgery.
- Feel like less of a male or female after the operation. It is very important not to put your values about your own sexuality onto your pet. They are not the same as us! They won’t suffer a blow to their ego or an identity crisis as a result of the surgery, they won’t even be aware that it has happened.
- Benefit in any way from having one litter, it is actually better for her if she doesn’t ever go on heat or have a litter. Both these events significantly heighten an animal’s stress.
- Teach your child about the miracle of birth, in fact, the only lesson you will teach your child if you allow your pet to have a litter is that animals can be created and disposed of by adults as it suits them. Instead, you should educate your child that desexing your own pet will save the lives of many others who are already unwanted and waiting for homes in shelters.
You must also consider what you would actually do with a litter of puppies or kittens when they’re old enough to need new homes. It will be your responsibility to care for all of them and mum until that time.
An average litter number for cats is four to six kittens, dogs can have over ten puppies in one litter depending on their breed.
There will be significant costs involved in caring for them. You will need to feed, worm and flea treat the whole litter and mum until they’re fully weaned (at about 8 weeks of age). You will also need to cover the cost of microchipping and first vaccinations (about $100 each) for all of them before you can legally sell them or give them away.
This is a huge responsibility and one that you will be obligated to follow through.
It is NEVER acceptable to dump an animal and especially cruel to leave vulnerable puppies and kittens to fend for themselves. It is also illegal to dump animals and carries heavy penalties in NSW under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Desexing is the far better option financially, emotionally and from a health perspective for you and your pets.
Please contact your local vet to book in for the surgery, most vets will desex puppies and kittens at 5 to 6 months but it is perfectly safe to desex them as early as 10 weeks. This is called “early age desexing” and is practised by most welfare organisations.
If you have difficulty meeting the financial commitment of desexing please contact the RSPCA on 02 9770 7555 or The Cat Protection Society of NSW on 02 9519 7201, both these charities offer desexing, microchipping and first vaccinations at a discounted fee for people who genuinely need their help.
Downloads
RSPCA NSW Auxiliary
- Desexing Benefits Information Sheet | PDF 97Kb
- Discount Desexing Program | PDF 97Kb
- Desexing Fact Sheet | PDF 846Kb
Local Vet Clinics
Sydney Animal Hospital
69-73 Erskineville Road Erskineville
Tel:
02 9519 4111
Sydney University Veterinary Clinic
65 Parramatta Road, Camperdown
Tel: 02 9351 3437
Glebe Veterinary Clinic
113 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Tel: 02 9660 1771
Surry Hills Veterinary Clinic
419 Cleveland Street, Redfern
Tel: 02 9699 3951
Alexandria Veterinary Clinic
1/138 Botany Road, Alexandria
Tel: 02 9698 4120
Animal Shelters
Blacktown City Council – Animal Holding Facility
415 Flushcombe Road Prospect
(Cnr Flushcombe Rd & Great Western Highway)
Entrance to the facility is from Flushcombe Road
Tel: 02 9839 6160 / 02 9839 6161
Sydney Dogs and Cats Home
77 Edward Street, Carlton
Tel: 02 9587 9611
The Cat Protection Society
103 Enmore Road, Newtown
Tel: 02 9557 4818
RSPCA
201 Rookwood Road, Yagoona
Tel: 02 9770 7555
Doggie Rescue
70 Victoria Road
Tel: 02 9719 2022
Cat Rescue (Please phone for adoption information)
Tel: 02 9011 6053
DCH Animal Adoptions
Tel: 02 9627 2767
