Feral Cat Colony
I’ve personally seen the result of too many cats/ kittens and simply not enough room to accommodate them. I have witnessed the death of countless number of cats and kittens. Hearing the meows emanating from boxes filled with kittens, knowing these tiny creatures are only beginning their lives to viewing their limp, lifeless bodies, some while in my hands, has led me to question my sanity when I know this horror can be prevented! Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein
In less than two months, pregnant cats will be brought to the Alley Cats Allies‘ Northern Virginia spay and neuter clinic. Ten years of data were compiled from this clinic with the analysis showing the number of pregnant cats brought to the clinic peaked in March!
The start of spring is also known as the beginning of kitten season, a notoriously difficult time for animal shelters. According to Alley Cat Allies’ President/Founder, Becky Robinson, “Cats are breeding in the winter and birthing their kittens in the Spring and Summer.”
“The time for prevention is now,” says Robinson. “Cats may even be pregnant before the snow melts. For community cats, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most effective way to reduce the impact of kitten season by preventing litters.”
By spaying and neutering cats now, communities can prevent the peak of pregnant cats and new litters in the spring.
Once kitten season begins animal shelters across the nation impound multiple litters of kittens every day. It creates a very difficult time for shelters since “most are not equipped to handle the care for those who have been separated from their mother too early,” says Ellen Jefferson, a licensed veterinarian and Executive Director of Austin Pets Alive! “Neonatal kittens require around-the-clock care from trained staff or foster homes. Without a network in place to care for neonatal kittens, many, if not all of them, will be killed in the shelter.”
Alley Cat Allies says communities can prevent the peak of pregnant cats and new litters in the Spring by spaying and neutering cats NOW.
Jefferson noted that cats can become pregnant as early as four months of age, meaning the kittens you see today will be having kittens of their own come springtime. With a 63-day (nine-week) gestation period, kittens are usually conceived in January and February and born in the spring.
Kittens can be safely spayed or neutered at 2 months old, or as soon as they weigh two pounds. Veterinarians consider pediatric spaying and neutering for cats an easier, faster procedure. Research has shown that kittens spayed or neutered before 12 weeks of age have fewer complications from surgery than those older than 12 weeks. Kittens also rebound much faster after surgery with less stress than cats over 6 months of age.
At least 600 national nonprofit groups have included a Trap-Neuter-Return program (TNR) for “community cats”—otherwise, known as feral cats. These cats are humanely trapped and taken to a veterinary clinic for spaying, neutering, and vaccination. The tip of the cat’s left ear is painlessly removed while under anesthesia, indicating that the cat has been neutered and vaccinated. Unsocialized cats are returned to their outdoor homes, while friendly cats and kittens are fostered before adoption. TNR ends the reproduction cycle, and stops behaviors associated with mating such as yowling and spraying, thereby addressing community concerns and decreasing calls to animal control. Over 450 cities and counties have official ordinances/policies which endorse TNR. According to Alley Cat, these places have seen a reduction in the number of cats entering animal shelters and enables them to focus on community outreach and education.
The analysis from the ten years of data from the Alley Cat Allies’ spay and neuter clinic in Northern Virginia showed over half of all female cats were pregnant in March as compared to less than one per cent of female cats from October through December.
To get ahead of prime kitten season and end the breeding cycle before it starts, Alley Cat Allies is reminding communities that winter is the ideal time to spay and neuter cats.
Don’t delay!
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