I got so sick and tired...

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...of my friend complaining about how his cats would keep reproducing. I tried to explain to him that cats will even mate with their parents, offspring, and children, and he refuses to believe it. None of his animals, of course, are spayed and neutered. Maybe his dog. Maybe. And his oldest cat, too. This is really an old issue and I do think that he has given out a lot of his cats (I do not know where they took them or who they gave them too, he never explained). That was a lot of cats from those litters that they did not want to keep. And why? Because none of them were spayed and neutered. I guess I just feel so strongly on this subject. I know that this is going to turn into a rant before I am done with this, but people always wonder why there are so many dogs and cats. People get dogs and cats and cannot afford their vet care. They may not want puppies or kittens but cannot afford to get them fixed. It's irresponsible to get a companion if you cannot afford to take care of them, and it's going to be even harder taking care of more if your animal(s) breed. This is why we have so many cats and dogs in the shelters, and strays on the streets. This is why we have overpopulation. Spaying/Neutering actually prevents problems such as tumors (because certain parts are removed). It prevents roaming, which prevents the possibility of a car accident. It prevents the spread of some diseases through fighting, such as (in cats), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. The biggest point is that if people would just fix their pets, it could save them a lot of money, especially if they do not intend to breed. Even for those who intend to breed, a lot of people have trouble finding homes for the puppies and kittens, and a lot of dogs end up in shelters. Some people want to breed their dogs because they are purebred, but one-fourth of the dogs who are in shelters are purebred. I didn't really intend to rant, but an issue that another friend brought up reminded me of this incident, and I am very passionate about the issue of spaying and neutering animals. In a local animal shelter, the euthanization rates have increased to 80 percent of the dogs and cats that come into the shelter, and that number is only going to go higher with the declining economy. Please consider what I have said, and your input would be much appreciated.