I know this blog is specifically for the animals to talk but sometimes I (I'm the one who helps the animals to articulate what they want to say) wrestle it off them if there's a really pressing matter I want to discuss.
This time the issue is the neutering of cats. We've spoken about it many times before but it's just so important that I really feel I need to mention it again.
This year we have seen an increase in the number of abandoned kittens, pregnant mums and nursing mums coming into the Centre. Year on year ourselves and other rescue centres see this increase. This year we offered a deal over the summer whereby we neutered and micro-chipped cats for a highly reduced rate to try to curb the flow of cats coming into the Centre, however the flow of cats to the Centre never seems to slow.
When members of the public call us because they sadly need to part with their cats the vast majority of the time we are unable to help them simply due to the high volume of abandoned cats who are brought to us by Inspectors or left on our doorstep by members of the public. We have a finite number of spaces for cats and, being only a small Centre, this number isn't high.
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| Anise was found abandoned in a box with her mother and her sister |
A prime example happened on Monday of this week. Two cats were pushed through the gap at the side of our gate when we were closed in the morning. Luckily two members of the public saw what had happened and banged on the gate to alert us. The cats were too stunned to move far and we caught them easily. They are recovering well from their abandonment but this is a case that is happening all too regularly.
The big driver of the abandonment of these cats is lack of neutering. When a cat is let out the back door or goes through the cat flap, as an owner you basically have no control over where that cat is going. Unfortunately due to the financial climate it can be quite difficult to find the money to afford one cat, let alone the 4 or 5 kittens that cat may then produce. When that happens, owners feel desperate and can resort to abandoning the cat family if they feel they have no other option.
Please please please tackle the problem BEFORE it happens. Book in and neuter your cat. If you are struggling there are some organisations who can help with neutering costs and the cost of neutering one cat will fall far below the cost of feeding, flea treating, worming and vaccinating kittens.
Male cat owners are NOT exempt from this. It can be easy to forget the consequences of letting neutering slip by the wayside when you own a male cat however in order to be a responsible pet owner you need to consider this. Although you may not see the after-effects, your cat may be impregnating every stray/feral female cat in the area, along with the female cats who have homes. These stray and feral females then have to give birth in somebody's shed or garden and, if the kittens are lucky enough to survive after living outside, they will either become feral cats themselves, adding to the breeding problem or, if they're lucky, they will be brought into a rescue centre. This endless cycle puts further pressure on rescue centres and on the cat population.
Another incentive for neutering male cats are the health benefits. Neutering reduces the risk of many diseases, eliminates the risk of others and also reduces the likelihood of your male cat wandering and fighting with others.
Some people believe that neutering animals takes away their choice however it is important to remember that cats are NOT people and they don't actually have a choice. We have to make it for them. It is far more beneficial for a female cat to be neutered at 6 months old and live a long life with her owners than for the female cat to remain unneutered and have at least one litter (she could potentially have 2-3 litters) of kittens every year. Bearing in mind that a cat can have anywhere from 2-8 kittens per litter - that is a huge amount of kittens for her to carry, feed and care for.
There are so many benefits to neutering. I know, kittens are very very cute - but they grow up. And they also all need homes; there are only so many people out there with space to rehome kittens.
If you have any questions about neutering or would like to discuss it further you are welcome to contact the Centre for advice.
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