The Views of the UK Public Towards Routine Neutering of Dogs and Cats

SIMPLE SUMMARY: While the routine neutering of pet dogs and cats is very common, it impacts on animal welfare and can be ethically problematic. Using an online and in person questionnaire, we investigated for the first time the attitudes of the UK public to the routine neutering of dogs and cats. The respondents (n = 451) expressed views both supporting and opposing routine neutering, but predominantly (>80%) supported the practice. Primary justifications were prevention of unwanted offspring and reproductive diseases. Around 10% of the respondents disagreed and felt that neutering should only be done for medical reasons. Men were less likely than women to agree with neutering of dogs and cats, and those with meat reduction diets were more likely to be against neutering. Cat owners supported neutering more than non-cat owners. Our results characterise how members of the UK public currently perceive the acceptability of routine neutering of dogs and cats. ABSTRACT: Despite being routinely recommended by veterinarians, neutering of dogs and cats has both positive and negative impacts on animal welfare and is ethically problematic. We examined attitudes of a sample of the UK public towards routine neutering of dogs and cats using a questionnaire. Respondents indicated their level of agreement with statements describing welfare and ethical reasons ‘for’ and ‘against’ the neutering of male and female dogs and cats. We conducted a general linear model (GLM) analysis to investigate the effects of demographic factors on agreement scores. Respondents (n = 451) expressed views both supporting and opposing neutering. The predominant view (>80%) supported neutering, justified primarily by prevention of unwanted offspring and reproductive diseases. Around 10% of the respondents disagreed and felt that neutering should only be done for medical reasons. Men were less likely than women to support neutering (p < 0.001). Those with meat reduction diets were more likely to be against neutering (p < 0.05) and cat owners supported neutering more than non-cat owners (p < 0.05). Although the data reflected a wide range of ethical views, our findings show that the UK public generally supports the routine neutering of dogs and cats. This insight has implications for future policy-making and compliance with veterinary advice.