Are there alternatives to surgical spaying or neutering?
The one sure way to keep your pet from mating, is to have it surgically spayed or neutered. Confinement is the only alternative method to prevent mating. This becomes extremely difficult when one realizes that pets are capable of mating so much of the time. Males can mate any time they are not confined after they reach sexual maturity. Females may become pregnant only during their estrus or “heat” periods. These cycles usually occur twice a year in dogs and at least 2 or 3 times a year in cats. Many cats come into “heat” as often as once every 2 or 3 weeks during certain times of the year.
