Spay and Neuter Awareness Month

When:
🗓️February

Where:
🌐 Everywhere

Since:
1990-something or before

Also known as “Spay/Neuter Awareness Month”, “Responsible Pet Owner Month” and “Prevent a Litter Month”.
Another important event also taking place in February is World Spay Day on the last Tuesday of February.
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The origins of this event are hard to find. But they date back to at least somewhere in the 1990ies.
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Many veterinary clinics world wide celebrate this month and some even give nice discounts to encourage animal caregivers to have their pets treated.
Not only does spaying/neutering prevent animal pregnancies that may lead to animals that can not properly be cared for. Also the pregnancies are hard on the animals experiencing those pregnancies as pregnancy can be hard on the physical health of the animal. Permanent complications or death in child birth is a very present risk.
Even in animals that may never procreate spaying/neutering might be considered.
Some animals are high risk for medical conditions concerning their reproduction organs.
Especially ovaries or prostates can become problematic.
For example, over 60% of female guinea pigs get ovary cysts in adulthood. Its advised to have the ovaries removed when a guinea pig is about 6 months old as at that age the ovaries are still close to the surface of their sides and thus easy to remove in a low risk surgery.
Its worse with rabbits who are all high risk of a wide range of complications in any of their reproductive parts, including the mammary glands and uterine system. A neutered rabbit lives considerably longer and healthier than the average “intact” peers.