In 7 years, one female cat and its young can produce 100 to 400 kittens.
70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the USA alone. Compared to only 10,000 human births, it’s clear that there will never be enough homes for all these animals.
Almost 8,000,000 dogs and cats are euthanized each year because there are no homes for them."
There are countless ways you can help ease the overpopulation problem, and by doing so, save the lives of innumerable cats. Remember that a kitten not born is a life saved. If you've been reading the figures, by extrapolation, if you can spay or neuter just one cat , you will potentially have saved the lives of several hundred cats. Remember, of those unborn cats, some of them will find homes; the majority will either be abandoned to die, or eventually to find a colony of other ferals, or will be "surrendered" to animal shelters, where they will more often than not, be "euthanized," humanely or not.
Make your $$ Count
- S/N Your Own Cats
If you've been putting it off, do it this month. If you're short on funds, there are organizations that offer free or low-cost Spay & Neuter.- Donate to a Rescue Organization
, or check with Alley Cat Allies for affiliate groups.
Since my cats are all neutered, I chose to donate the cost of a spay or neuter for a cat this month to a great local organization. To find a rescue group near you, use the searchable database at [link url=http://www.petfinder.com/]PetFinder.com - Donate to a Rescue Organization
Educate
- Start With Kids
What children learn today about responsible pet ownership will affect the lives of animals 100 years from now. If you enjoy working with children, think about volunteering to do a presentation on the pleasures of pets. It will be a great way to introduce the concept of spaying and neutering and develp a sense of responsibility in younger folks. OR... - Involve Your Kids
If you have children, encourage your child to make a spay/neuter presentation or essay in a school endeavor. - Make Your Web Site Work
There are dozens of web sites with compelling graphics on Spay and Neuter. Start with the wonderful Vintage cat graphics on Diabella Loves Cats. - Use Your License Plate
Many states now offer an "animal friendly" personalized license plate. If your state doesn't offer one, write your legislator to urge action. The Spay & Neuter stamp took years to finally bear fruit, but the efforts were worth it. - Write a Letter to the Editor
Write from the heart, but try to keep to the facts. Your letter might strike a chord of response from one or more readers, with the end result of many lives saved. - Call a Radio Talk Show
You may have to don "flame-proof knickers," depending on the host, but armed with the facts, you will reach thousands of listeners and start them to thinking. Stay calm and non-argumentative, and you'll score points all-around.
Volunteer
- At S/N Clinic
Veterinary clinics which provide low-cost spay and neuter usually need all the help they can get. Here are the posted "job descriptions" from one clinic: " Admissions Assistant, Transporters, Spay Boards, Surgery Prep, Rabies Recorder, Fluids, Medications, Recovery, Instruments, Trap Cleaning, Food/Drinks and Discharge. No experience is necessary for many of the clinic positions but a rabies vaccine is strongly recommended when volunteering at the clinic." - Get Involved With a Rescue Organization
If you have a printer and suitable programs, make flyers for them. Help out at "adoption days" and talk up the value of S/N to people who stop by. Offer to clean cages and traps, shuttle ferals to the S/N clinics, anything you can do to lighten the burden of those in the trenches. If you have the space and the time to devote, volunteer to foster a cat or two.
Start Your Own TNR Operation
If there are no TNR groups local to your area. Enlist a cat lover friend to help. You don't have to start on a grand scale; the battle is one cat at a time. Do your homework first. Alley Cat Allies is a wonderful place to start. Another good source for starting a TNR operation can be found on the [link url=http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/ferals.htmlPawprints and Purrs[/link] site.
I've started you out with several ways you can make a difference. No doubt you can think of a number more that are in synch with your time and abilities. By banding together to volunteer and educate, we can all make a tremendous difference in the future of cats in our world. There's no better time to start than right now. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000,000 households in the U.S. today. If only half of those households were responsible for neutering just one cat , think of the potential!
