Education
Did you know...
- One un-spayed cat and her descendents can produce 420,000 kittens in just seven years. The average female cat can produce three litters every year. The average number of kittens in each litter is between four and six.
- One un-spayed dog and her descendents can produce 67,000 puppies in just six years. The average female dog can produce two litters every year. The average number of puppies in each litter is between eight and ten.
- In Canada, approximately 220,000 cats and dogs enter shelters every year. Nearly 80,000 of those are sadly euthanized.
- Within this minute, ten more animals will have senselessly lost their lives on account of overpopulation? Within the hour, 600 more will die: that's 14, 000 per day and more than five million per year.
Do You Believe...
- You aren't contributing to the overpopulation problem by allowing your pet to breed. Wrong, just consider the numbers above. Even if you are able to find a home for all your puppies and kittens, there are sadly many awaiting homes and they might not ever find one. Now there are fewer homes available for the already homeless pets. Should you, for any reason, not find a home for your litters and you find it too difficult to care for, they too will end up in shelters and homeless.
- It is important to allow your pet to have just one litter or your children should witness this "miracle" at least once. Wrong, the first is simply a myth and there is no medical documentation whatsoever to support this. Getting your pet fixed will not make them fat and lazy. Improper diet and exercise is the cause of this. Cats and dogs do not possess an emotional need to reproduce, nor do they suffer emotionally when they are altered. We firmly believe an important lesson for children would be to educate them on responsible pet ownership. Educating children as to the benefits of spay/neuter and the benefits this has for pet, family and community alike should be included. Should you be serious about this experience, please consider fostering for a local shelter. It is a wonderful alternative and you would be helping instead of hindering the cause.
- Getting your pet spayed or neutered will affect their personality. This is often true, but the change will be a positive one for both your pet and family. Fixed pets are generally less aggressive towards other animals, more affectionate towards the family and less likely to escape and wander at times. Fixing your pet also eliminates spotting and marking around your home.
- There is money to be made in breeding your pet. Wrong, reputable breeders with reputable lines will never sell a puppy or kitten for breeding purposes to just anyone. Even if you consider your pet a purebred, you would never make enough money from those animals to cover the costs associated with caring for a litter of pups or kittens. First exam and vet shots are on average $65.00 per pet. What if something should go wrong either during birth or should someone become ill, you would be paying much more in order to properly care for these pets. There are obviously huge bills for food, cleaning supplies and damages to your home while training your new friends. Consider this carefully please!
- Getting my pet fixed is too costly and/or dangerous to their health. Wrong as well! It is actually more of a danger to your pet to leave them intact. Females are more prone to ovarian cancer and males to prostate cancer if not altered. The cost of a spay or neuter is nothing when they are young. If you are experiencing financial hardship, there are low cost spay and neuter assistance programs to help you. Contact your local Humane Society to find out about these programs. Working in hospitals over the years we have seen too many people come in when their pets are old and suffering from these types of cancers. By now you have an incredible bond with your friend, and would hopefully do anything to save them. An emergency surgery combined with extensive testing to ensure your aging pet is safe under an anaesthetic will prove much more costly than if you had done this in the first place. Not only monetary value but the cost of watching your friend suffer is much, much worse.
TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release)
- What is a feral cat?Feral cats are basically wild cats. They are a direct result of irresponsible and neglectful pet owners. Unaltered cats are either abandoned or allowed to roam free to breed. These cats and their offspring fear humans and avoid interaction at all costs. These are considered feral cats.
- Is there a difference between a stray and feral cat? Yes, stray cats are generally someone's pet that has become lost or abandoned. They are much more dependent on humans and will reside closer to people, seeking out food and shelter. They are not born wild and therefore do not know how to properly fend for themselves, thus the need for human interaction. Feral cats are primarily born wild or have adapted to feral life and avoid interaction with humans at all costs.
- What is TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release)? TNR is a preventative and humane solution to provide feral cats the best quality of life. It acts as a means to halt the reproductive cycle and prevent the continuance of overpopulation.
- How do TNR programs work? The bases of the programs are simple. Feral cats are humanely trapped and transported somewhere to be altered. They are given time to heal and are then returned to the environment from which they came. When kittens are trapped they are generally fostered, vaccinated, taught to love and are cared for until a home can be found. Feral adult cats are generally that way to stay so they are returned and are able to live out their lives without creating more kittens that have nowhere to go. Caregivers tend to feral colonies by means of providing food, shelter and medical care when necessary.
- How does this benefit the community? The answer is too simple. The fact one female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in just seven years should say enough. These cats are not born into the community without a home. TNR programs help to stabilize the population of feral colonies and, over time, finally reducing it. Nuisance behaviors such as spraying, fighting, and loud noises are eliminated at the same time that we are preventing more to be born. Of course there is always rodent control that these feral cats assist us with. Feral cats can continue to help us combat this problem while we prevent others from being born unwanted.
- I know of a feral cat colony or I would like to help, what do I do? If you have a colony in your area and are interested in running a TNR program, you can contact us directly for information and assistance. The Winnipeg Humane Society also runs TNR programs. They only ask for a minimum $20.00 donation to help offset the cost of surgeries etc. This does not even come close to the cost, just a request to help out. Alternatively, Craig Street Cats offers TNR programs and acts as an adoption outlet for kittens and adoptable cats that have been trapped in TNR programs. Contact any of these resources to get help for the feral cats in your area.
What can I do to help?
- Leave the breeding to the professionals!
- Have your pets spayed and neutered, encourage others to do the same.
- Adopt your new best friends from a reputable breeder, pet store or rescue shelter and help to save a life. Reputable breeders generally specialize in one line of dogs or cats. Reputable pet stores and rescue shelters offer a variety of friends for you to choose from. As well, 25% of these are purebreds. You just need to "look around" to find the right fit for your family.
- If unsure about the source, don't be afraid to investigate. Check with your local Humane Society, The Canadian Kennel Club, or with The Canine Federation of Canada.
- Get involved! Try your best to educate yourself and others about the importance of spay/neuter and TNR programs. Volunteer or foster at a local shelter and help to save lives.
Spay Neuter Poster (PDF). Please print and help us get the message out!