The Cat-Kind group is elevating consciousness of neutering this World Spay Day
Cat charities are urging house owners to neuter their pets this World Spay Day (February 25) amidst a ‘cat disaster’ – with an unprecedented enhance in felines coming into rescue shelters.
RSPCA centres are full-to-bursting with cats – and the charity is paying to maintain lots of in personal boarding amenities as a result of jam-packed centres are fully full. Some 260 cats had been caught in personal boarding in January, and 168 in February, as they anticipate out there house.
This inflow in rescue cats has exceeded the numbers the charity often sees throughout even the busier summer season months – often known as ‘kitten season’ – and is unprecedented for this early within the yr (37% enhance in cats on ready lists in January 2024 in comparison with July 2023).
In order to deal with the massive variety of cats coming into their care, the RSPCA is having to depend on personal boarding amenities which come at an enormous worth. In January alone, the charity needed to pay a watch watering £12,804 per week throughout England and Wales to maintain cats fed, watered and housed in personal boarding as a consequence of its full centres. This places a pressure on the charity’s assets and means cats wait longer earlier than being rehomed.
Cats Protection can be seeing an increase in cats coming into its care, with 3,350 at the moment being cared for at its centres and branches (19 February 2024) – a rise of 5% from the identical time final yr. That’s following a very busy yr in 2023 for the charity, when it noticed a 47% year-on-year enhance within the variety of kittens born in its care. Similarly, Battersea additionally noticed a 34% enhance in kittens and younger cats (below six months) coming into their centres final yr.
The charities at the moment are becoming a member of forces to induce the general public to neuter their cats to assist deal with the cat overpopulation disaster – and, for these trying so as to add a feline to their household, to undertake a rescue cat relatively than shopping for and fuelling demand for extra felines to be bred within the UK.
Alice Potter, cat welfare professional on the RSPCA, stated: “It’s heartbreaking that we’re seeing so many wonderful cats flooding our centres and branches and having to go on ready lists in personal boarding.
“We often don’t see something shut to those sorts of numbers till kitten season when most kittens are born so it’s regarding that we’re seeing these excessive numbers in January and February – and we’re now bracing for what the summer season may convey.
“We have additionally seen a 30% drop in rehoming which has left us in a state of affairs the place we now have cats coming in sooner than we are able to discover houses for them. As we try to create a greater world for each animal, we’re urging the general public to neuter their cats to keep away from unplanned litters and cut back the hundreds of cats who find yourself within the care of the RSPCA and different charities.”
Over the final 10 years, the RSPCA has neutered a whopping 46,000 cats, nevertheless, Cats Protection’s Cats and Their Stats Report 2023 and the PDSA PAW Report discovered that 1.4 million (13%) owned cats are nonetheless unneutered.
This is why Cat-Kind – an professional group of cat and veterinary organisations – have come collectively to encourage accountable pet house owners to neuter their cats from 4 months outdated to make sure that they don’t have surprising litters.
Sarah Elliott, Central Veterinary Officer for Cats Protection stated: “Cats are prolific breeders, with one feminine able to giving start to as much as 18 kittens a yr. For the cat inhabitants to be managed, the timing of neutering in addition to the general variety of cats neutered is crucial. Cats must be neutered at 4 months outdated, earlier than they’re able to grow to be pregnant. Sadly, many feminine cats are unneutered by the point they attain a yr outdated, which means they may have already had a minimum of one litter.
“We’d urge house owners to assist by making certain their cat is neutered by 4 months of age. Some animal welfare charities like Cats Protection supply monetary help in the direction of the price of this for house owners on a low revenue.
“Not solely does neutering assist cut back the undesirable cat inhabitants, it additionally means cats lead more healthy, happier lives. This is as a result of neutered cats are much less prone to roam removed from residence or get into fights with different cats, each of which might enhance their danger of harm or choosing up sicknesses.”
Tackling the cat disaster – one cat at a time!
Lily, O’Grady and their kittens got here into the care of the RSPCA Canterbury and District Branch after being rescued by an inspector – they had been deserted in filthy carriers in a woodland in 27°C (81°F) warmth with no meals or water. The two kittens had been clearly their infants and had most probably been born on account of an absence of neutering these two younger cats. Following neutering, some additional meals to feed all of them up and a clear invoice of well being – the entire household have since been rehomed.
Mother cat Zodiac and her kittens Ace, Hunter and Vogue, had been rescued after they had been deserted in a unclean cat service at a bus cease in Guildford this month. They had been in pretty good well being however it’s suspected that the kittens – who had been 10-12 weeks outdated when deserted with their mum – had been an surprising litter and the proprietor ‘dumped them like garbage’. They had been taken into the care of RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre the place they’re receiving some much-needed TLC.
Constance and Evelyn had been deserted in an Aldi bag and left on the again of the truck. The two eight month outdated kittens had been found by two males who seen the bag was transferring within the Hasland space in January. They had been taken instantly to the RSPCA Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Branch’s animal centre in Spital Lane the place they had been checked over by employees and located to be in good well being. They at the moment are on the lookout for a brand new residence collectively.
Ian Futter, Chief Veterinary Officer on the Scottish SPCA, added: “Neutering your cat at 4 months outdated can have quite a few advantages in your pet’s wellbeing, the broader animal neighborhood and for you as a accountable proprietor.
“Neutering additionally discourages male cats from scent marking and roaming, and makes it much less doubtless they’ll get entangled in fights. There’s completely no want in your cat to have a litter of kittens earlier than getting her neutered – that’s an entire fantasy. Neutering your cat at 4 months outdated is sweet in your pet, good in your pocket, and good for animal welfare.”
For extra data on neutering please go to: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/neutering
For extra data on Cat-Kind go to: cat-kind.org.uk
To undertake a rescue cat, please go to: rspca.org.uk/findapet or cats.org.uk/adopt-a-cat
