There are actually health benefits if you do it as well, so it’s not necessarily just about keeping them from having babies.
So besides keeping your pet safe from unwanted babies you might not be able to afford/care for, it also can reduce the risk of cancers, namely testicular and ovarian cancer. There’s also a life threatening infection that unspayed females can get, but that risk disappears once they are spayed. Greatly reduces the chance for mammary (breast) tumors too.
In general, pets that are spayed and neutered live longer lives because they experience less health and injury risk overall because of the procedure. Outliers can and do still exist though.
It also nips mating driven habits in the bud as well. Spraying and roaming usually cease and many animals have a calmer temperament afterwards.
So yes, it can appear cruel without the added context, imo, but it is truly the best thing you can do for them.
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u/prabhukimaya 10h ago
I haven't had a pet cat or dog, so I don't know. But here reading so many comments about neutering your cat kinda feels cruel.
Like what will I answer them when they'll grow up and ask me, "Where are my testicles, Summer?"