"Spaying" and "neutering" are safe, simple operations that sterilize a dog or a cat so that it does not reproduce. Although "neutering" can apply to the sterilization surgery on both male and female animals, it is generally used to refer to the surgery on male animals, in contrast with spaying females. A male is neutered by surgically removing his testicles and a female is spayed by removing her ovaries and uterus. These are among the most common procedures performed by veterinarians. There are very few risks to these surgeries, and the benefits far outweigh the risks.