Question:
In Desmond Morris' book "Catlore
," he says the spaying of female cats and the castration of males are unnecessary and cruel operations (he calls it "butchery") that dramatically change a cat's personality. Tying the female's fallopian tubes and performing a vasectomy on the male will avoid cat overpopulation.
Do you agree? Does this also apply to dogs? My dog Blake, who passed away three years ago, was neutered. My vet assured me it would have no ill effect on his behavior. I had my doubts, but I went along with it. I'm getting another dog. What is the right thing to do?
A.D., Lynbrook, NY Jul 19, 2009
Answer:
I have known Desmond Morris for many years and respect his work, but when it comes to helping cats adapt to their domestic environments, neutering is a humane decision. It is not butchery. Of course, population control is an important issue in communities where people allow their un-neutered cats to roam free. Biologist Dr. Morris is responding as a purist and, in theory, he is correct. But the behavioral and medical health benefits of neutering dogs and cats far outweigh the risks and side effects that can generally be corrected. For details, see my Web site, www.twobitdog.com/DrFox. It is an anthropomorphic notion that neutering animals deprives them of a basic desire that is their natural right or entitlement to fulfill. Few animal species match the human in terms of sexual motivation or desire, the consequences of which contribute to overpopulation, violence and assorted perversions -- unique in our species in terms of prevalence.
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