My Pet World: Readers chime in with challenges to common pet practices and phrases
I agree with you on the term “fixed.” It’s been in my vocabulary for 30 years, so occasionally it slips out. I will try to do better.
“Spay and neuter," however, is a phrase used by animal groups to promote pet sterilizations. Neuter is a synonym for castrate. Some male pet owners hesitate to neuter their dogs due to concerns about the procedure's implications for their own masculinity or discomfort with the idea of castration.
Using "castrate" in place of “neuter” would likely deter even more men from neutering their dogs. So, “spay and neuter” are good terms to use.
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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)
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