Let’s put our pets on The Pill

 Posted by on 20 April 2009  Modern Life
Apr 202009
 

shadowcat

This is my cat Shadow, having a docile moment at a houseparty Amy and I hosted last Saturday. Normally, she’s a very cuddly cat, but this night she was in the middle of being in heat, so she verged on needy — and she was pretty annoying later in the evening.

I often get static from well-meaning sorts who ask why she isn’t “fixed.” My pat answer is that she isn’t broken. They always ask why I don’t get her spayed, then, and I’ll assure you that I have my reasons, but this post isn’t about that.

Instead, to deflect criticism at the party, I tossed off an idea that I’d had before: “I’m not going to get her spayed,” I said, “but I would put her on birth control.”

Now, anyone who’s ever had to give a pet a pill knows that one a day isn’t a very fun idea. You mix it with their food, right? So why shouldn’t I be able to buy, from a vet, say, daily-dose birth control cat food. That would keep her from going into heat, and it would help control the pet population.

And I wouldn’t have to subject her to any bogus unnecessary surgery.

What a coincidence, then, that I happen across an article in the New York Times that advocates birth control for wild horses. Best of all, they mention a birth control drug known as PZP — a single needle once a year. It’s not foolproof, which means it probably isn’t suitable for humans, but for pet purposes, I’ll bet it would work.

UPDATE: Oh, they’re working on it, but it doesn’t work yet [pdf]:

The PZP vaccine has been found to be an effective contraceptive in most mammals with the exception of rodents and cats.

Should work for dogs, then!

Grant Hamilton

  • Juel

    That could be a good alternative for responsible pet owners who would give the meds or the yearly visit to the vet for the needle.
    My question is you don’t want to subject Shadow to unnessary surgery and as a pet owner I understand that concern, but what about possible side effects of drugs? You wouldn’t want to subject Shadow to that either.

    • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Grant Hamilton

      The side effects of birth control drugs — at least in humans — are a lower cancer risk and clearer skin. The PZP drug, and whatever similar would be developed for cats, is just an antibody that attacks sperm. It’s like a flu shot, basically. I’m much more okay with subjecting Shadow to that than sending her in for a full-on anesthesiology and removing a couple of internal organs. I just think the costs outweigh the benefits.

  • Colin Corneau

    Sorry. But considering how cheap spaying is, and the benefits of it, I can’t imagine why you won’t do it.

    Apologies if there’s extenuating circumstances, but…they’re hard to imagine.

    • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Grant Hamilton

      It’s not about the money — it’s an unnecessary hysterectomy. It’s not like neutering a male. I just think the so-called benefits — ie. making things easier on me — don’t justify the internal surgery.

  • Colin Corneau

    Its not just making things easy on you…it’s better for the pet.

    Talk to a, like, vet sometime dude. There’s being contrarian and then there’s…well, being cat-trarian. And yes I’m going to trademark that word.

    • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Grant Hamilton

      Vets have a vested interest in a) selling you on getting your cat spayed; and b) bringing your cat in for its checkups and vaccinations.

      Vets will tell you that it prevents some very deadly diseases — like feline uterine cancer (because they take it out!) What they don’t tell you is that the chance she will develop feline uterine cancer is approximately the same as her dying on the operating table while performing the spay. (That’s about 0.11% by the way.) Most of the other advantages, like limiting exposure to feline leukemia, are side-benefits of having a cat that goes outside less. Since my cat is already an indoor cat, those benefits do not apply.

      All the other so-called benefits are behavioural.

      As I said, I’m happy to look at other birth control options, but I don’t like the idea of a major, invasive surgery. To me, it’s akin to unnecessary hysterectomies in retarded people (see: province of Alberta, 1928-72).

      • http://pennywise-books.blogspot.com/ T. Keith Edmunds

        If there was an effective and reasonably-priced birth control method (be it pills or needles or whatever), vets would abandon surgery immediately. Surgeries are a one-off billing for them — providing meds would be a continual income stream. You would think, therefore, that vets would have an interest in some sort of viable vet-administered birth control….

  • Colin Corneau

    T. Keith: checkmate.

    Vets have a vested interest in keeping loved animals healthy. There are no black helicopters, buddy.

  • Juel

    I had to have my old dog Buster put down when he was about 16. My vet had looked after him since a pup and in the last year of his life, had treated with meds to improve his quality of life.
    Buster was a big dog, St. Bernard/shepherd cross and had lost the use of his back legs. The vet came to my home and he cried when he put the needle in that old dog. I never got a bill for that…
    That same vet has looked after Trudie and Kia, but sadly has left the clinic in the past year. He just loved and loved Kia too!

  • Colin Corneau

    Gotta agree, and call foul on Grant for the assumptions about vets.

    I had two pets put down due to illness. Both times they came to my house, because it would have frightened both cats to go to a clinic…no extra charge for that. And the whole clinic signed a card to me for condolences.

    They do a lot. Theories about profit motives behind spaying or neutering your pet are about as suspect as water flourination conspiracy theories…c’mon dude, just take care of kitty.

    • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Grant Hamilton

      I think my off-the-cuff “vested interest” comment has distorted your perception of my opinion. I know that vets are kind and caring individuals — all the of the ones I’ve ever encountered have been great people, which is a significantly better ratio than the general population. I don’t really ascribe sinister profit motives to spaying or neutering. But I will maintain that vets will tell you spaying is best because that’s what they do. Of course they believe in it!

      Similarly, if you have someone look at your sore foot, doctors will recommend X-rays or pills, podiatrists will recommend orthotics, and massage therapists will recommend massage.

      I’ve been reading lots and lots about spaying — and not just in the past day or so regarding this post. I’ve read lengthy message board arguments. I’ve read scientific papers. I’ve read up on the medical procedure itself. I have yet to find anything that really makes the case for spaying. As I’ve mentioned above, the risks from cancer and anesthesia are about equal. And most of the other health benefits are related to keeping the cat indoors. On the flip side, many spayed cats gain weight and are less active (some people think this is mostly because they stay indoors more) and that causes other health problems. From a strictly is-it-better-for-the-cat perspective, the benefits and risks are a wash.

      The only thing is that it keeps her from going into heat. If this is truly an awful experience for her, as Amy has maintained to me, then maybe being spayed could save her some anxiety. But I’m truly uncomfortable with a hysterectomy just to make her less annoying to me (and, by the way, I don’t find it all that annoying).

      I’m more than happy to take care of my well-loved and well-treated cat. I’m more than happy to investigate birth control, to “help control the pet population.” And I’m more than happy to take her to a vet. I am NOT happy about being cajoled into signing her up for major abdominal surgery to have organs removed!

      • http://www.absurdintellectual.com/ Amy Breen

        Like I’ve said time and time again, Grant, is that yes, some people get their cats spayed or neutered because they don’t want the annoyance of a cat in heat. But it’s not purely for the people’s benefit, like say, de-clawing a cat (which is horrible and unnecessary). I really believe that when Shadow is in heat, it is almost cruel, because she wants SO BAD to be impregnated (I mean, the yowling is outrageous).

        So ignore all the supposed health benefits. Do it so your cat doesn’t have to suffer through wanting a mate.