Spay Day

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 is National Spay Day.  This is world-wide effort to bring attention to the need to prevent companion animals from reproducing.  This procedure has many health benefits in addition to preventing the birth of unwanted kittens and puppies.

Females are spayed and males are neutered.   The surgical procedure reduces the chance of some types of cancer; it decreases the pet’s urge to roam in search of a mate; it eliminates heat cycles; it helps to reduce aggression; there is less chance of the animals ‘spraying’ or marking their territory; and unwanted litters and subsequent euthanasia is eliminated.  But best of all, your pet has the chance for a happier and healthier life.

Cat reproduction is our biggest challenge. Think about this.  If a male and female are capable of having three litters of kittens, and the average size of the litter is 6, and half of the kittens born are female, and within six months the female kittens are capable of having kittens; how many kittens could be born in one year?

(M + F= one litter of 3 females 3 males) x 3=18 kittens from the original pair. 

3 of the females have at least one litter in the same year=18 kittens.

That is 36 total kittens in one year!

Think about year two with 18 possible females.   This is a worse case scenario because not all litters have six kittens, not all survive, and not all have three litters.  But there is that potential.