If we spay all of our pet dogs and cats, wont they go extinct?

Question

You know how people always say to spay and neuter your dogs and cats, I am all for that but wont it eventually lead to dog and cat extinction if they keep reproducing less and less to the point that they will not reproduce and more becuase the goal is to spay and neuter all.

Answer 1

Not a chance!!

.005% of existing animals should breed we need to get quality back into the dogs breeding lines.

Answer 2

There are lots of good answers here and I gave them thumbs up when appropriate.

I do need to comment on this:
"cat and dog breeding is big business."

NO, its not. It is a VERY EXPENSIVE HOBBY. Good, ethical breeders who spay/neuter pet quality animals and test, show and breed the best examples of their breed INVEST way more time money and energy than they could ever get back in sales.

Old Cat Lady is correct about cats. I don't think they will ever go extinct. I know some breeds were in jeopardy after WWII, when fanciers simply let their cats go into the street, mixing and nearly loosing their "purebred" lines, however even they are back.

I have heard interviews with the president of the UK Kennel Club who is worried about the extinction of specific pedigreed dog breeds. He encourages the few breeders involved with these breeds at risk -- read their website for details -- to share their lines to keep them going. However, these dogs have well-researched pedigrees, are tested to rule-out genetic defects and minimize the risk to the lines, and are shown to ensure they to represent the breed well before they are allowed to breed. All at a big EXPENSE.

There are so many HEALTHY mixed breed dogs and cats being put down every day in shelters around the world. Why do they need to be bred? Love them. Give them a home. Don't breed them.

PETS are big business, but I'm here to say it is the pet stores and pet food manufacturers who profit. Breeders do not unless they are doing it wrong (AKA "puppy and kitten mills").

Answer 3

If you knew the number of pets in shelters, you wouldn't wonder about this at all. There are more pets in shelters right now than there are people in homes. The reason many of these animals are here is that people breed thier pets by accident or on purpose, and are then unable to care for them.

For cats especially, there is no worries about them going extinct. There are a huge number of cats on farms that are allowed to roam free and are intact. There are also huge numbers of feral or wild cats that are having kittens.

There aren't as many wild or feral dogs as there are cats for the simple reason that they can't hide as well, and they tend to get themselves into a lot more trouble.

The goal is not to spay and neuter all animals. The goal is to spay and neuter enough animals so that there aren't any left in shelters that have to be put down because they don't have a home.

So, no. Animals will not become extinct because there is no way of spaying and neutering EVERY dog and cat on the face of the planet. I won't even discuss puppy mills and the whole industry of dog breeding.

Answer 4

Don't worry it will NEVER happen! Not this side of the end of the world. We will never have all people neuter their pets, that's just a dream. Even if they did, there are still THOUSANDS of strays and ferals reproducing beyond all that we can cope with.

The cat and dog population is completely and utterly out of control, there are far more than we are able to cope with, and yet people don't see it and just let their dogs and cats reproduce 'because it's cute' - yeah, orphaned kittens and healthy adults being euthanised is so very cute really.

It would be ideal if the common pet owners neutered their pets and breeding was ONLY done by licensed breeders who had to pass strict tests to get their licenses. But it's never going to happen!!

Chalice

Answer 5

Absolutely not! There will always be licenced breeders who have the facilities to breed and raise desired pets. They do it responsibly and with great care, unlike these puppy/kitty farms. Buying a pet from anywhere except a breeder or a rescue non-profit organization will only promote over-population. These places make certain their animals are going to a good home. the others don't care so long as they get their money.
So you never know if the people buying them will love them or turn them into a fighting dog, or fodder for a fighting dog.

Answer 6

Enough people will not spay their animals so that won't happen. Besides there are always breeders and ferrel animals.

The spaying and neutering is to prevent all the unwanted animal pregnancies that happen, where people don't want the animals so they just dump them in alleys or take them to shelters.

Even people who want to breed their animals are supposed to spay or neuter them after they've had a litter or two because it's not good for the animals to just pump out babies. The key is just to be responsible and care for the animals that we have now, so that we can continue to have them in the future.

Answer 7

In theory Yes,

But cat and dog breeding is big business. If all responsible pet owners did spay or neuter their pets, than we would have a lot less mix breeds or backyard bred dogs.

Answer 8

A female cat in heat is an annoying, inconsolable, noisy creature that will go into heat every month until she is spayed, or bred. If bred you will have a bunch of under foot fur balls running around you must find homes for. That last part is not as easy as the cute faces make you think. If bred she will go into heat cycles 4 to 6 months after birthing. If not spayed or bred the constantly changing hormones can lead to health problems late in life.

Answer 9

There's an estimated 100,000 stray cats in Milwaukee. How many years will it take the vets here to spay all of them even if they could be all caught?

Not possible to have cats go extinct, there aren't enough vets around to do all that spaying/neutering.

Answer 10

First of all, despite our efforts it is impossible to spay/neuter ALL cats and dogs. We just cannot do it. There are far too many stray animals and far too many people who like it when they get a litter via the family pet or are just too lazy to get their animals fixed. Take into account as well those financially lacking who can't take their pet to a vet unless it's life or death.

Also, even if we did somehow manage to fix every single animal out there that wasn't specifically for breeding, there are still those animals deemed "Purebreeds" who are used not only for shows but also to perfect the breed of cat/dog.

There is absolutlely no need for you to worry that cats and dogs will go extinct.

Answer 11

No, because not EVERYBODY will ever spay or neuter their animals. But, in addition to that, you have people who breed cats and dogs for this specific purpose. So, no, there's no chance that cats or dogs will ever go extinct--unless you're talking about the big cats, which are endangered.