By Dr. Brenda Griffin, DVM, MS, DACVIM, the Chemung County SPCA Veterinarian of Record

MYTH:           A female cat or dog should have a litter before she is spayed.

FACT:             The sooner you spay your female pet, the better her future health will be.  Sterilizing pets at an early age has been proven to be safe and the chances of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections increase the longer the pet remains unaltered.

MYTH:           Spaying or neutering will change my pet's personality.

FACT:             Sterilized pets remain loving and protective companions.  Neutering male pets often reduces fighting, roaming and scent marking. Neutering does not change a pet's personality and in many instances, improves their working ability.

MYTH:           My pet will get fat and lazy if she is spayed.

FACT:             Pets gain weight because we feed them too much and exercise them too little.  Surgical sterilization does not have to mean weight gain for your pet.

MYTH:           The surgery will be painful and dangerous.

FACT:             Spaying and neutering are the most common surgeries performed on pets.  These procedures are safe and your pet will be back to normal within a few days.

MYTH:           Children should witness the miracle of birth.

FACT:             Watching the birth process can be messy and often traumatic for young children.  There are excellent teaching aids available in the form of books and videos to help your children understand the process.  There are thousands of homeless animals euthanized in shelters every day.  Help your children learn about the pet overpopulation problem by explaining the importance of spaying and neutering.

MYTH:           I'll be able to find homes for all the puppies/kittens.

FACT:             There are millions of cats and dogs euthanized each year in the United States, simply because there are not enough homes for them all.  Each home you find for your litter is taking away one of the limited number of homes for pets who are already waiting in shelters.