Below is the link to Neuticle, which will explain the complete ins and outs.
The short version however, is:

Neuticles are testicular replacements for neutered pets. They are touted as encouraging pet owners who wouldn't ordinarily neuter to neuter (fuzzy logic is that maybe if the pet owner's pet could at least have fake balls they'd be happier to have the originals removed)


Are you for or against this procedure?. Maybe this debate will not dissolve into name calling, eh? Course that's assuming you believe that people actually have testicular implants given to their pets.

http://www.neuticles.com/index1.html

   

If that's what it takes to convince people to get their pets neutered, then it's fine with me. Out of four dogs I have two that came from the Humane Society and two that would have ended up there. Two of our three cats were strays at one time.

Our latest dog goes in next month to get chopped. It's taken a while because he wasn't in great shape when we got him...the vet felt he needed some time to adjust and heal before we got him castrated.

   

Forget neuticles.

We should force people to be licensed to have breedable dogs above a certain age (i.e., 1 year). No license, better neuter or you'll get a hefty fine.

   

Soiunds like another thing that involves alotta wasted money....but hey do what ya need to do.

   

Never mind the pets.

There are a number of people in this country who could use them. Why, I can think of a couple of thousand right of the bat.

   

Stick to the topic.

   

I think getting your pets neutered is a good idea. But giving people fines for not doing it is absurd. Kinda like registering your guns!

   

I'm with Othello on this one. At the very least pet owners should be able to pass the questionnaire the Human Society gives to prospective pet owners. I'd also like to see a program for spaying and neutering stray cats and giving them their shots before releasing them.

We've got a colony of wild cats where I work. I feed them every day. They have the habits of barn cats, though they aren't nearly as friendly or nearly as healthy. In the spring and summer I usually go through about 10 pounds of food a week. In the winter that drops to 10 pounds a month because of winter die-off.

   

Rev Blair, I volunteer at the RCHS here in Vancouver (New Westminster to be precise) We have volunteers that trap, spay/neuter, and release feral cats. If they are young enough (6 months and under) they come to me or another volunteer for re-socialization. We do not adopt any cat without it first being spayed./neutered. This also means they've had their shots because the vet won't neuter or spay unless this is done.

There may well be a similar organization in Winnipeg. Those cats should be spayed/neutered. Would you be interested in trapping for a shelter if I found one?

   

You must not have seen the conditions in some backyard breeding operations and puppy mills.

There are too many dogs and cats in Canada already. Unless you have a very specific and well considered reason to breed your animal, you shouldn't. Your animal should be proven to have no genetic health concerns and should have superior traits (particularly with regard to behaviour and temperment). Otherwise, you're just contributing to over population by breeding.

And if, you're not breeding, but not neutering, you're still being somewhat irresponsible, IMHO. Spaying females significantly improves their odds of not getting particular cancers later in life. Neutering males reduces the chances of aggressive behaviour (towards other dogs or towards humans). Have you ever noticed that in all the recent child mauling cases, the dogs were not neutered?

If you need "neuticles" to feel better about the decision, you shouldn't own a pet. If you would neuter anyway, and just think it would be nice for your dog to still look "intact", then go for it.

   

(quote]If you need "neuticles" to feel better about the decision, you shouldn't own a pet. [/quote]

here! here!!!!!

spaying of female cats significantly reduces their chances of developing mammory tumours. Neutering of male cats also protects them from infected wounds (which kill). Cats heal from the inside out. It's a protective measure the body has for isolating the infection. However, this causes abcessing. Neutering also lowers the spread of FIV (feline aids)

At the shelter I volunteer at we see many many cats who've not been spayed or neutered. Non neutered cats come to us on the deaths doorstep. All because somebody couldn't be bothered to shell out the $35.00 for the neuter. Females cats come to our shelter worn out from spitting out litter after litter. We also end up with a large population of semi-feral kittens. It is near impossible to convince somebody to adopt a semi feral kitten. They want one that will willingly come to them. It's hard to convince them that these kittens will come around. Not only will they come around, but they'll be very very affectionate. I'd like to invite them to my house and see my 2 feral cats. Little balls of claws and teeth when they first arrived. They're are now 2 of the friendliest little dears.

It's part of my job to remind them that this is why spaying and neutering is so important. The kittens that survive outdoors do not do so for long.

   

We've got a thing run by Quaaga (sp?) here Twila. It's tiny, but they try. They aren't big on the releasing thing though. I'm pretty short on time, so my volunteering is pretty much left to writing cheques and donating things that I come across. I work in a pretty wasteful business, so there's a lot of food and so on that finds its way to the Humane Society and the no-kill shelter.

As for feral and semi-feral cats...I grew up around barn cats. Never fixed, never invited into the house. If you wanted a house cat you got it from town. The barn cats were really wild animals...crazy things that lived on gophers and mice and the occassional rat. They were there for that reason. It never took long for them to become semi-tame though...a couple squirts of warm milk or a pat on the head and they'd be rubbing against your shins and purring.

If anybody wants a cat or dog I'd suggest that they visit the local shelter. You'll get a clean animal with it's first shots and the volunteers there likely have a decent odea of the animal's temperament. You can get an easy starter model or one that's likely to be good with the kids or other animals.

If you're up to the challenge you can even get one that has problems. I've got one dog, Emma, who still chases cats and won't go through a half-closed door or narrow opening. She doesn't bite me when I pat her anymore though and she's starting to play with the other dogs. It's taken 8 years (I think that's right) to get that far.

   

hmmmmm LMDAO I suppose a copuple of cocktail onions would do just as well no??