There are more pets being born that there are homes for them. For this reason, over 10 million dogs and cats in the United States are humanely put to death (euthanized) each year in animal shelters because no one wants them. The vast majority of animals being destroyed are not old, injured, sick or unfriendly. They are young, attractive, healthy, friendly and playful. Some appear to be purebred. No figures exist for the number of animals who die each year due to abandonment, neglect, abuse, starvation, or cruelty because they are unwanted. Because of the pet overpopulation problem, care should be taken to prevent pets from breeding.

Females are spayed and males are neutered. Spaying or neutering removes an animal's ability to reproduce. Spaying involves surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries. Neutering involves surgical removal of the testicles. Both operations, done under general anesthesia, are safe, routine and relatively painless. Typically, a spayed or neutered pet is up and about within a day of the operation.

Spayed and neutered (altered) pets are less distracted by sexual instincts. They can be more responsive to family members. Altered pets are less likely to roam the streets and become lost or injured in search of a mate. (Males can smell a female in heat over great distances.) Altered cats are less likely to fight with other cats, thus saving themselves much pain and their owners high veterinary bills. Altering a cat, contrary to popular belief, does not make them fat and lazy. Rather, the metabolism of a cat changes after altering and the cat requires less food. This can save on cat food bills.

Spayed female cats are less likely to develop cancer or pyometra, a common uterine infection in unaltered females. They are less likely to have mammary tumors. Females in heat spray and defecate in inappropriate places and stain carpets and furniture. Additionally, they attract noisy, fighting, and bothersome males. Pregnant females eat more before and after their offspring are born. Health care for pregnant females is expensive. Raising kittens is expensive, and it is time consuming to feed, worm, vaccinate, advertise and place them into homes.

Neutered male cats are less likely to suffer infections or disorders in the reproductive or prostate glands, or develop lower genitourinary problems. These conditions can lead to kidney disease, the most common problem in unaltered males over five years old. Unaltered males typically spray urine to mark territory both inside and outside the home. This spray has an obnoxious, unmistakable odor. Neutering, at a young age, helps eliminate this problem.

Most veterinarians try to keep charges for altering affordable, but prices can vary. Call several veterinarians and spay/neuter clinics (including your local Humane Society) to check on costs for your cat. Remember, the one-time cost of spaying or neutering is minimal compared to the costs of repeated veterinary treatments for pets injured when roaming or fighting. Additionally, paying for a mother cat's proper health care, including possible cesarean delivery, along with feeding, worming and vaccinating litters of kittens can result in excessive veterinary bills.

If you want your children to experience the miracle of birth, Public Television, Animal Planet, and your local library are highly informative sources available to teach children about reproduction of animals. A reputable breeder of show cats might allow your children to watch a litter of kittens being born. Of course any reputable breeder would have strict rules and your children must be well-behaved and follow rules.

If you want to breed your purebred to "make money", you need to talk with an experienced, reputable breeder about expenses Professional breeding of purebred animals is a science involving years of study of desirable breed characteristics. For the novice, little money, if any, can be made when the mother cat is properly cared for and kittens are fed, wormed, vaccinated, advertised and sold.