The Isle of Wight RSPCA is backing National Spay Day today — a UK-wide event that urges cat owners to get their pets neutered.
Nationally, nine animal welfare organisations have come together to highlight the benefits of getting cat spayed which can prevent both unwanted litters and also later health problems.
It is thought that up to 70 percent of cat pregnancies are unplanned.
Here on the Island, the RSPCA’s animal welfare centre at Godshill, as well as taking in animals that are the result of unwanted pregnancies, also spends significant resources ensuring animals in its care are spayed.
An average cat has one to eight kittens per litter and two to three litters per year, meaning during its reproductive life a female cat can have more than 100 kittens.
Without being spayed, collectively a cat and her offspring could go on to produce thousands of kittens during their lives – and there are simply not enough homes for all these kittens.
Last year, the Island’s RSPCA arranged and paid for the neutering/spaying of 92 animals in total — 35 cats, seven dogs, 37 rabbits and 13 other small animals.
Already this year the corresponding figures are eight cats, three dogs, six rabbits and eight other small animals – 25 in all.
Suzanne Pugh, Isle of Wight RSPCA branch manager said:
“Our advice is simple – have your cat spayed at four months to protect her from getting pregnant. This humane step can help prevent a lot of anxiety and distress further down the line.
“Male cats should be neutered too to protect them catching diseases and getting nasty injuries as a male who hasn’t been neutered is much more likely to fight over a female mate.
"Neutering can also help to stop male cats from spraying indoors – which can be really smelly and he’s also more likely to stay close to home as a neutered male cat is less likely to stray.
“Sadly, we see a lot of kittens come into our animal welfare centre who, quite frankly, are the result of an unwanted pregnancy which could have been avoided."
The World Spay Day is supported by The Blue Cross, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Cats Protection, Celia Hammond Animal Trust, International Cat Care, Mayhew Animal Home. PDSA, RSPCA and Wood Green Animal Charity
More advice on neutering cats is available online.
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