Spay / Neuter

SPAY / NEUTER ASSISTANCE

HELP FOR OWNERS | DID YOU KNOW | The FACTS of Spay/Neuter |CARTOON

HELP FOR OWNERS

CAT SPAY/NEUTER HELP: CATsNAP offers a limited availability spay and neuter clinic for cats. These surgeries are meant for low-income families who are otherwise unable to afford services from one of the many excellent community veterinarians. Our services are not meant for pet owners who are price shopping. We have limited availability and are a resource for those who would otherwise be unable to have their pet spayed or neutered. If you utilize our service, your pet must be picked up the same day and you will be responsible for providing the after-care. It is not a full-service clinic, and we do not offer declawing or other elective procedures. We do offer vaccinations, including rabies, for an additional charge.

Suggested minimum donations (per animal) are as follows: Male Cat: $25 or Female Cat: $30.

DOG SPAY/NEUTER HELP: Contact the Paxton Veterinary Clinic at 217-379-3232 and inquire about their everyday low cost dog surgery prices.

FERAL CATS suggested minimum donation is $10 (male or female), and the animal will have its left ear clipped (as seen in the photo on the left). Eartipping is a painless procedure done under anesthesia (during the spay/neuter surgery) where the top of the left ear is cut straight across. It is a universal sign to animal control officers that a cat is wild, but is fixed and vaccinated.

Animals can be spayed/neutered safely at 8 weeks of age. It is best to spay a female BEFORE her first heat. It is not necessary for any animal to have a litter. It is actually healthier for them to not have a litter.

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Clinic

Depending on veterinarian availability, we try to offer spay/neuter surgery days several times every month. Days and locations TBA -- contact us for details.

Did you know?

Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. - and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, every year 4 to 6 million animals are euthanized because there are no homes for them.

For cats born outdoors, 50 to 75% will die in the first few months of life due to many factors -- male cats, wildlife, neighborhood dogs, and disease.

What can you do to stop the suffering?

Spay and neuter your pet! In addition to saving lives, spaying and neutering can also drastically improve your pet's health and life expectancy. The idea that pets become fat or lazy when they are spayed or neutered is a myth. Sterilized pets lead healthier, longer lives. Spaying a female eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Neutering a male reduces the risk of both prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. Neutering also will make your pet more affectionate and less likely to roam, get in fights, or become lost.

The FACTS of Spay/Neuter

MYTH: It's better to have one litter first.

FACT: Medical evidence indicates just the opposite. In fact, the evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age. Check with your veterinarian about the appropriate time for these procedures.

MYTH: My children should experience the miracle of birth.

FACT: Even if children are able to see a pet give birth—which is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion—the lesson they will really learn is that animals can be created and discarded as it suits adults. Instead, it should be explained to children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.

MYTH: But my pet is a purebred.

FACT: So is at least one out of every four pets brought to animal shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats—mixed breed and purebred.

MYTH: I want my dog to be protective.

FACT: Spaying or neutering does not affect a dog's natural instinct to protect home and family. A dog's personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.

MYTH: It's too expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered.

FACT: The cost of spaying or neutering depends on the sex, size, and age of the pet, your veterinarian's fees, and a number of other variables. But whatever the actual price, spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost—a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It's a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring 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 bills and food costs if complications develop. Most importantly, it's a very small price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of the births of more unwanted pets.

MYTH: I don't want my male dog or cat to feel like less of a male.

FACT: Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet's basic personality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.

MYTH: But my dog (or cat) is so special, I want a puppy (or kitten) just like her.

FACT: A dog or cat may be a great pet, but that doesn't mean her offspring will be a carbon copy. Professional animal breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can't guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, an entire litter of puppies or kittens might receive all of a pet's (and her mate's) worst characteristics.

MYTH: I'll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens.

FACT: You may find homes for all of your pet's litter. But each home you find means one less home for the dogs and cats in shelters who need good homes. Also, in less than one year's time, each of your pet's offspring may have his or her own litter, adding even more animals to the population. The problem of pet overpopulation is created and perpetuated one litter at a time

MYTH: My pet will get fat and lazy.

FACT: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don't give them enough exercise.

It's Good for You, Your Pet, and the Community

Prevent A Litter - It's Good for You

Spayed and neutered pets are better, more affectionate, companions.
Neutered cats are less likely to spray and mark territory.
Spaying a female dog or cat eliminates its heat cycle, which can last twenty-one days, twice a year, in dogs, and anywhere from three to fifteen days, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat often cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
Spayed and neutered pets are less likely to bite. Unaltered animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than those that have been spayed or neutered.

Prevent a Litter - It's Good for Your Pet

Spayed and neutered dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
Spaying female dogs and cats eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer.
Neutering male dogs and cats reduces the incidence of prostate cancer.
Neutered animals are less likely to roam and fight.

Prevent A Litter - It's Good for the Community

Communities spend millions of dollars to control and eliminate unwanted animals. Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks.
Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.

Contact Information

Postal address: P.O. Box 456, Savoy, IL 61874
Voicemail: 217-353-5243
Electronic mail: General Information: catsnap@comcast.net

We receive no government funding; all money comes from donations.