Its Raining Cats And Kittens.
| Published: 31st August 2006 19:23 |
With many animal centres full to bursting, the RSPCA is making a desperate appeal for new homes for cats. The situation is so bad that there are currently thousands of cats in RSPCA care across England and Wales.
Cats and kittens come into RSPCA care for a variety of reasons. Many are sick, injured or have been abandoned. Many more come from homes where their owners find they cannot cope with them and hand them over to the RSPCA.
But every summer RSPCA centres fill up with litters of kittens, as owners who have failed to neuter their cats find themselves with 'unexpected' additions to the family. Amazingly, it has been calculated that each female cat can be responsible for up to 50 million descendants in an average 10-year lifetime.*
"It is quite normal for us to be overrun with kittens at this time of the year, but this summer the situation really is dire," said RSPCA animal welfare manager for the east region, Suzie Graham. "There are so many cats coming into care that we can't rehome them fast enough to make space for new ones."
Necessary to neuter
It is essential that pet cats are neutered at an early age. Most cats are sexually mature at six months, but some cats can become pregnant as early as five months. Therefore, the ideal age to neuter your cat is between four and five months. Neutering is a very simple, safe operation and cats recover quickly. It is also much cheaper than many people imagine, costing between just £30-£50 in the UK.
Can you help?
Cats are popular pets and make good companions for many people. If you would like to offer a home to one of the thousands of cats currently in RSPCA care, contact your local RSPCA animal centre.
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