Neutering - De-sexing. Spays and Castrations.

Veterinary professionals in developed countries are practically unanimous in their advice to neuter pets. Not only are there advantages to the animals' health, but accidental breeding and uncontrolled breeding are the primary causes of the enormous problems we face with unwanted pets. Many people assume "just one litter" is okay, but that's exactly where most of our problems start. Other people don't like the idea of neutering, for various reasons, but usually it's due to misunderstandings. Read the truth about neutering here.

Excuses - why not
Benifits to Neutering
What's Involved
Operating under Islam
 
 
 

The Top 10 Excuses why people don't neuter their pets

As we explained before, humane population control must be based on birth control. Thousands of animals are dying on our streets every year simply because people assume their pet won't contribute to the problem.
Have you thought about it?

What's your excuse?

  1. Just one litter won't hurt.
  2. A female dog or cat should have at least one litter for health reasons.
  3. But I have a male cat; he won't leave me with any kittens.
  4. We can find "good" homes for the kittens, even sell them to make money.
  5. My cat is so cute and unique; there should be more of her.
  6. I want my children to witness the miracle of birth.
  7. It's not natural to desex animals.
  8. I just couldn't look my Tom cat in the eye if I had him castrated.
  9. If I spay/neuter my pets when they are young, it will stunt their growth.
  10. Neutering my pet will change it's personality and make him fat and lazy.

  1. Just one litter won't hurt.
    Studies show that virtually the entire pet overpopulation problem stems from the "just one litter" mentality. Every day, kittens are turned into rescue organisations and pet shops because the owners couldn't find homes for them.
    In developed countries, with animal charities, about 70-80% of unwanted animals are destroyed because there just aren't enough homes. Here, they die on the streets, in pet shops or in the pest control traps.
    Just one litter does hurt - thousands of animals every year. Don't be part of the problem when you can be part of the solution.

    2. (more excuses)

  2. A female dog or cat should have at least one litter for health reasons.
    This argument is indefensible - both medically and ethically. There are absolutely no medical advantages to having a litter. While pregnancy is a natural process, it is not without stress and effort and risks to the mother's own health. For example, much more harm comes from needing an emergency caesarean than choosing to spay before pregnancy. There is also a great deal of physiological stress on the mother when the babies are finally taken away from her. In fact, there are many more advantages to neutering before pets are even sexually mature.


    3. (more excuses)

  3. But I have a male cat - he won't leave me with any kittens.
    That's just irresponsible. Since he is likely to leave them with someone else, you're just leaving the problem in someone else's home. Besides that, when he prowls for mates, he is more likely to suffer injuries and the risk of getting lost. As an entire Tom cat he is in the highest risk group, for getting and spreading FIV (Feline AIDs virus), and other diseases.


    4. (more excuses)

  4. Because the mother cat is so special, we can find "good" homes for the kittens,
    we could even sell them to make money.
    You may have one or two friends who mentioned they'd like a kitten - what will you do if your mother cat produces 7 babies? Take the left-overs to the pet shop? What about all the kittens and cats already there hoping for good homes, do you want to take their chance away? As for selling them to make money, the cost of raising a litter (if it's done properly) includes vaccinations, wormings, veterinary fees, and feeding a quality food, which consumes most of the "profit". Besides, there is a huge amount of time involved. Last but not least, Islam does not permit selling your kittens. There is a Hadeeth (667) which says

    On the authority of Abu A'Zubayr, who said:
    'I asked Jaabir about (the ruling on) the revenue (from the sale) of cats and dogs. He replied, "The Prophet (pbuh) strictly forbade (zajara) that." '

    Allah knows best, don't support an industry that treats animals like disposable commodities.


    5. (more excuses)

  5. My cat is so cute and unique; there should be more of her.
    People often think their pet is the best in the world. That's great! But what makes you think her kittens will be the same? Do you even know the father - or were you going to let her risk mating with a street cat Tom?


    6. (more excuses)

  6. I want my children to witness the miracle of birth.
    Hmmm... are you also going to take your children to the vet clinic or pest control company so they can witness the tragedy of death? Believe me, from my personal experience as a veterinarian, few things upset me more than the need to fill rubbish bags full of diseased, neglected and unwanted animals. PLEASE don't be a part of the problem when you can be part of the solution.


    7. (more excuses)

  7. It's not natural to neuter animals.
    Street cats are not naturally occurring wild animals like sparrows or lizards. There hasn't been anything "natural" about these cats since we domesticated them and began to develop breeds, thousands of years ago. There is nothing "natural" about the streets and cities they live in or the food the steal from rubbish bins. There is nothing "natural" about the Pest Control company that comes every month, traps them, kills them or dumps them in the desert. This is often just a lazy excuse, used when people don't want to take responsibility for the animals in our care. And we have a responsibility to care for the animals and the health of our community.
    However, some people believe it is makruh (reprehensible), to neuter animals for religious reasons.
    This is debatable even within Islam. Here is what we've researched on this topic.


    8. (more excuses)

  8. I just couldn't look my Tom cat in the eye if I had him castrated.
    You're anthropomorphizing (i.e. giving the animal, human feelings). Your cat doesn't have a sense of gender in the way that humans do. He / she will not know that you have removed their sexual organs.
    • I've heard people say if you neuter Tom cats, the hormones will go to their heads and drive them mad. Actually neutering removes the hormones and reduces sexual tension between the animals.
    • Other say the females will be lonely without children. Realistically, female cats (queens) leave their babies as soon as it's time to get pregnant again - or a Tom cat drives them off.
    The fact is, neutered animals live more relaxed, community orientated lives without the pressures of constant reproduction.


    9. (more excuses)

  9. Early spay/neuter will stunt my pet's growth.
    No. Your puppy / kitten will develop normally. In fact, young animals also tend to recover from surgery more rapidly than older animals. Female cats look identical whether neutered or not. Male cats neutered at a young age will avoid "tomcat jowls" and the undesirable behaviours associated with intact males, like spraying urine and fighting.


    10. (more excuses)

  10. Neutering my pet will change its personality and make him / her fat and lazy.
    Historically, pets have been spayed / neutered around the time of puberty (5-8 months of age). Natural changes in the pet's behaviour often occur around this time too. Many animals (including people!) become less playful as they mature. Because spay / neutering only affects sexually dimorphic behaviours, and does not affect learning, it will not impair an animal's ability to, hunt, play, etc. Animals actually may be better able to focus on their task, since they will be less distracted by other dogs and cats. In addition, they will not be subject to the "emotional" effects of hormonal fluctuations. Spayed / neutered animals are three times less likely to develop behaviour problems compared to intact animals. (Beaver, A Guide for Veterinarians. WB Saunders. 1999 p208). They will be less likely to wander and pick fights and much less likely to mark their territory by urine sprays.

    The primary influence on an animal's personality is the care with which it was raised.
    As for getting fat, the number one cause is a simple imbalance between diet and exercise!

What's your excuse now?

 

The Benefits of Neutering your pets

Since we haven't seen any great excuses why not to neuter, let's look at some of the advantages to neutering.

More Advantages than Disadvantages:

  1. They are safer at home
    Neutered pets are less likely to run away from home. The drive to look for a mate leads pets to roam, increasing to chance of getting lost and injured in fights or be cars etc or being caught by animal / pest control.
  2. Less injuries from fighting
    Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to fight or have aggressive behaviour toward other animals, seen especially in males. Bite and scratch wounds from fighting can cause permanent injury or infections in cats and dogs. Reducing this saves the pet much pain and their owners' veterinary bills.
  3. Improved behaviour
    Spayed and neutered pets are less distracted by sexual instincts and become easier to train. They also tend to be more attentive to their owners and family.
  4. Female cats in heat, yowl and exhibit anxious behaviour that is often annoying to their owners. Spaying eliminates this problem.
  5. More hygienic
    Male cats spray urine to mark territory both inside and outside the house. The spray has an obnoxious, unmistakable odour and is unhygienic. Neutering eliminates this problem.
  6. They don't attract more cats to the area
    When in season, female cats attract more male street cats into the compound that are noisy, aggressive and bothersome to other residents and their pets.
  7. Reduced cancer rate and RT diseases
    Neutering females significantly reduces breast cancer, eliminates the risk of ovarian tumours, cysts and other abnormalities. It prevents endometrial hyperplasia () and pyometra (a septic, life threatening infection of the womb).
  8. Neutered males are less likely to suffer prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) and have much reduced chance of prostatic infection/abscess or neoplasia (tumour and/or cancer). Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular tumours in males.
  9. Reduction in the spread of disease
    Neutering both male and female cats significantly reduces the risk of contracting diseases from infected animals via bite wounds or mating. Sexually transmitted diseases such as feline leukaemia (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV or cat AIDS) are fatal.
  10. With all these health benefits neutered pets can live up to twice as long compared to sexually active ones.
  11. Prevention of unwanted/unexpected pregnancy (ultimately contributes exponentially to the pet overpopulation problem).
  12. As any mother or doctor knows, pregnancy is not without risks itself. Infections, metabolic upsets and the risks of injury especially in a difficult pregnancy are removed. For example, an emergency caesarean section can be risky and expensive.
  13. Reduced cost to the owners
    Pregnant female pets eat more, both when pregnant and after offspring are born. Kittens require a lot of work and cost if they are to be raised correctly.
  14. Avoiding pregnancy avoids the significant psychological stress the mother cat has to go through when her kittens are taken from her to new homes of the pet shop.
  15. There is a massive death rate of unwanted and abandoned pets. There is simply no excuse to contribute to this. Read our section "The Problem is Multiplying out of Control"

Neutering Benefits Street Cats Too

before T.N.R.
after T.N.R.
caught for TNR
much improved after
 
 

Spaying and Neutering: Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What's neutering? And what's involved?
    To neuter or de-sex an animal, a veterinarian removes certain reproductive organs. If your cat is female, the veterinarian will remove her ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. The proper name for this operation is an ovario-hysterectomy, although it is commonly called "spaying." The testicles are removed from a male animal. This operation is properly called an orchiectomy, although it is usually referred to as castration, or simply "neutering." The operation is usually short and quick, just a few minutes. Veterinarians often keep the pet for the day to make sure it recovers correctly from the anaesthetic. Sometimes there is a check-up, a few days after the operation, but your vet can give you all the details.

  2. Is the operation painful?
    Spaying and neutering operations are performed painlessly while your pet is under general anaesthesia, just as when people go into hospital for operations. After the surgery there may be some discomfort, but this is part of the normal healing process and can be controlled with medication. In my experience, most cats act as though nothing has happened the very next day!

  3. When should my pet have the operation?
    Generally speaking, as early as possible. Most veterinarians recommend that a female be spayed before her first oestrus or "heat" period (around 4-6 months of age). A male dog or a tomcat can be neutered at 6 months to a year old, but there is no harm in treating him earlier. Younger animals tend to recover much faster from the proceedure. Your veterinarian can recommend the best time for your pet.

  4. Is the operation expensive?
    Professional fees vary from place to place depending on the economics of different services. Also the size, age, sex and health of your pet will affect the procedure. For example a young male cat is simple, quick and cheap to neuter, but a large female cat is more difficult and requires more equipment, so it will be more costly. Contact the vet clinics directly to check the price and for their clinic details. Remember that surgical neutering is permanent. It's a life-time investment in your pet's health that can solve a number of problems for you, your pet, and the community that is already burdened with too many dogs and cats.

  5. What are the alternatives?
    The oldest way to prevent mating is to keep your pet confined during its fertile periods. Since pets are capable of mating so much of the time, confinement is not particularly convenient for the owner or the pet and sometimes it's impossible. It also does nothing to eliminate the other problems with health and behaviour as neutering does. Veterinary medical scientists are working to develop a "pill" or some other convenient method of birth control for pets. But presently the only sure way to keep your pet from mating, if it gets outdoors, is to have it surgically neutered.

It's as easy as...

one

It's best not to give your cat food on the day of the operation. Animals usually get admitted in the morning so the vet staff can watch them recover from the operation during the day.

two

The operation should be performed only by a qualified veterinarian. It really takes only a few minutes and is a very safe procedure. Ask if you can see the operating room - is it clean and professional?

three

Back at home by the next day as though nothing has happened. But if you do notice anything wrong or concerning speak to your vet. You may want to have a check up a few days after the operation too.

 

The Lesser of Two Evils

Some people believe it is mukruh (reprehensible) or even haram (forbidden) to neuter cats. One of the main reasons for this is that Islam prohibits the harming of animals. There are many hadeeth that express the need to care for animals, and not cause them harm. For example;

It was narrated from Ibn Umar that the Prophet (pbuh) said:
A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she tied up and did not feed, nor did she allow it to eat of the vermin of the earth. [i.e. mice, etc]
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3140; Muslim, 2242).

It was narrated from Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah that
A donkey whose face had been branded, passed by the Prophet (pbuh), and he said, "May Allah curse the one who branded it." (Reported by Muslim)

However the scholars actually differ, in their opinions with regards to neutering.

The late Sheikh Sayyed Mutawalli Ad-Darsh, former chairman of the UK Shari`ah Council stated:
'Neutering or sterilizing animals, while not specifically encouraged in Islam, is not completely forbidden either'
Many people view neutering animals as interfering with nature, or causing unnecessary harm to the animal. It is true that Nature - as it was created - keeps perfect balance when it exists as it was designed. And compassion to all living things is a pillar of good Islamic behaviour.

For wild animals that live in balance with nature, it would be wrong and unnecessary to catch and neuter them, because they live as they were intended; e.g. a desert fox or a wild song bird should not be interfered with.

Even some animals we have bred and keep for our purpose, like a mare horse, I would not neuter because such a big operation would not benefit the animal. And, if I do not want her to have a foal, I could keep her away from the stallions or stable her.
But street cats are a different problem. The domestic cat is not a naturally occurring wild animal and the streets they live on are not a natural environment. Now we have too many of them and we cannot simply "stable them" to control their reproduction.

To control the numbers of these cats we have a choice:

  1. culling them with Pest Control or
  2. neutering, to control their breeding.

 
If we should have compassion for all living things than I believe pest control is not the right choice. And there are scholars who agree:

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said:
If there are too many cats and they are a nuisance, and if the operation will not harm them, then there is nothing wrong with it, because this is better than killing them after they have been created. Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/448

Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) reported:
After studying the messages of the mazhabs and the medical viewpoint of the SPCA's animal experts, 'JAKIM' has decided that neutering of cats for reasons of maslahat was acceptable. This decision is in agreement with qaedah (way) Fiqhiyyah which states "To choose the lesser of two evils".

JAKIM issued a fatwa (July 2002)
"All pets, like cats and dogs, are allowed to be neutered or spayed in order to maintain the health and welfare of both the animals and the community."

 

People have created a situation for these animals which is no longer natural and
neutering is the more compassionate and beneficial way to help the situation.