Spaying

Yes. I breed Old-Style Siamese.

How lovely!

I breed persians & s/h persians

i couldnt help noticing the debate going on between u missy and bluekat, and all those websites proving this and proving that, the truth is we should be educating the public more on the outcomes of not having your pets spayed and nuetered,surely this way we can at least educate at least one more person out of five-this being better than none....some people may find it too expensive to have their animal spayed or neutered, isnt there organisations who could do this cheaper for those less fortunate? i have four cats and wouldnt dream of letting them outside untill they had all been done, it simply is my responsibility to ensure that there are no unwanted kittens to trace back to my beloved pets-i simply couldnt live with the thought. it is so frustrating that a class that is monthly run at the local vets is frequently attended and some of these pet owners dont realise exactly what neutering and spaying is!! (believe me im telling the truth) so surely we should be making time to organise get togethers or post leaflets on the outcomes of none neutered/spayed cats and dogs. if it were me reading these awfull statisics, i would surely be heartbroken and get my pet done.
yours truly and sorry if i offend, claire xx u.k

My new vet has a sign up in her office indicating that people on public assistance (welfare) who have cats should talk with the vet, they offer very low cost spay/neutering if you can show proof.

I want to do my share to educate people about spaying/neutering. The local SPCA is full to overflowing with cats right now; the way I see it, a 2-pronged approach is needed. First, help find homes for these cats. Second, avoid re-filling the shelter by educating about spay/neutering.

I agree about spaying and neutring. I spay and netur my cats.

Originally posted by claire
i couldnt help noticing the debate going on ............. if it were me reading these awfull statisics, i would surely be heartbroken and get my pet done.
yours truly and sorry if i offend, claire xx u.k

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Spay & neuter is wonderful, but putting out statisics that are lies is silly. Case in point. A stray calico has made the rounds of my property for about 3 yrs. I had thought possibly she was a dumped spayed housepet, because she never seemed to have any kittens in 3 yrs. Well, now she has the prettiest little calico kitten, so guess I was wrong, but no way has that calico mother perpertuated some mega hundreds of cats in 3 yrs. She's got one sweet little baby. I'm trying to catch the kitten. It's perfectly marked. Had my fingers on it's fur today, but I wasn't fast enough.
bluekat

While the actual numbers ~are~ important here and I do not in any way mean to minimize them, for the purposes of this thread, they really aren't the primary issue.

I think we can all agree that the pet overpopulation problem is ... well ... a problem. And I think we can all agree that practicing responsible pet ownership includes spaying and neutering pets not participating in an ethical breeding program.

When I began this thread so long ago now, I did so because I thought it contained an important message. It wasn't intended to be about whether or not the numbers were accurate.

Gaye

dear gaye, im sorry if i started something i shouldnt,have, but it was just the number of replies you got to your important message were quite plainly trying to prove that the stats you gave were wrong!! i dont know what happened, but i could plainly see that they had lost the road you were trying to show them!!
i wish i could find the money to invest in my own rehoming centre, the people round where i live are so giving and kind and support all the local charities for cats and dogs. me and my family are bound to increase due to unwanted kittys and i want to give them a better chance at life with people who can truly care and love them. i wish the whole world had my outlook on life and kittys!! it would be such a wonderfull place if they did, however, reality dawns and more cats are put out onto the streets. every week we donate a full case of catfood to our local shelter to help these poor cats. i recently took in a small kitten, who has an extra big toe on his front paws, hes jack, and adorable. there are so many adult cats in the rehoming center that will never find good loving parents to care for them simply because; 1) they are adult cats and people want cute kittens, and 2) half of them have some form of injury, no eye, deaf, three leged no tail, oh i wish i could win the lottery id love them all!
lets keep suporting our local charities and tellin everyone how important it is to get our pets done....... and lets all cheer up too!! after all, we are doing our bit to help, which is all some of us can do.... xxxx
lots of love, claire jess jake jack and merlin

This issue saddens me. My family TNR kitties that arrive near our house in the country. Many of these kitties are friendly and it is obvious they were dropped off. We even occasionally get them pregnant...we simply let the kitty have her litter, feed them, worm them etc...then get them all fixed when they are old enough...and actually the kitties my mom has in the house were both born outside and their siblings went to various family members and friends (they are 10 years apart), but a lot of times the kittens that are born are feral which makes it more difficult. We fostered a himilayan (my cousin wanted her to suprise his wife for her birthday) and EVERYONE asked us if we were going to breed her with my Aunt's boy himilayan...kind of hard people since they were/are both fixed...then they proceeded to tell us that we were stupid because we could have made money....grrrr.

I am all for spaying and Neutering. But I do not also think that everyone who doesnt do it, is a bad guy or doesnt care or is out for making money. Granted yes the person who keeps males and females together just to breed un-papered cats to sell for a buck is the bad guy. The one who knowingly lets their kitties wander around unfixed..also perhaps not so wise. (I am up in the air about barn cats. yes they should be fixed. but being around a barn all the time. seeing how many get dumped i couldnt afford to spay and neuter em all if i tried. its not for lack of want)

Now case in point. I love my babies. I take great care of the, have pet insurance, food and so forth. My three girls, are not currently spayed. I am going to be doing it, one at a time as I can afford it. My boy IS neutered. I really think Spaying needs to be more affordable. It cost me $50 to have my boy done. Resonable. Even cheap...each one of my girls will be in excess of $200 thats WITH my pet insurance. And none of my local shelters have low cost avaible to me (so I was told anyways) I love my girls. I have a ER fund set aside for any major things that will come up. But for purely indoor cats..I cant afford to drop over $600 in one sitting. Cant do it right now. One at a time. Thats how I am going.

Unfourtnetly accidents do happen. And one has happened to me. Lucky me. Happened right in my own home as well no escape cats (mine wouldnt even think of going out right now to cold. and in the summer we have our leashes thats the only time we go out. and we have no interest in going out) I took in a male for someone to sit and made the assumption he was altered. he wasnt. I seperated them, they still got together. My fault. Does that make me horrible and one who doesnt care about my cat? NO. I take responsiblity and IF there is kittens (not confirmed anything) I will take care of them as well. Adopt to proper homes otherwise they will be here in my home with me. Period.

Just wanted to add my two cents.

I mean Bob Barker on Price is right always says spay and neuter your pet and I definitely do that for my pets. Its good for them as well as me. They are happy, healthy and harmonious.

Originally Posted by bluekat

Hi,
Dogs are overbred needlessly because of lact of spaying and neutering, but NOT PET OWNED CATS. Check out this site, and survey's.
http://www.fanciers.com/npa/owned-cats.html
I don't know where you came up with your numbers on how many cats are produced, but I believe they are massively overstated, if you believe any of the survey material on the above site. Possibly healthy ferels reproduce at the rate you mention, but the feral population I've seen, has episodes of disease every few years, which whips out most of them, and they have to start over, building up a population.
bluekats

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How do you think there came to be Ferals in the first place,It all starts with cats being unspayed/neautered

In my state of Louisiana, right now 6/06, shelters are taking in at least 100 kittens/cats a week and 80% are being euthanized because there aren't enough homes for them. Total for the state is in the many of thousands!! We are still shipping lots of animals across the country, but thousands continue to die because there are no mandatory spay/neuter laws in this state and free or low cost spay/neuter is nearly non existent.

I just read this thread for the first time and its kinda sad that 4 years later, it really seems like there has been no dent made in the pet overpopulation problems. TNR is becoming more widely accepted, thank goodness, as is pediatric spay/neuter which IMO is a key to reducing pet reproduction, if the pet is altered before it ever leaves the shelter or rescue group than it doesn't get left up to the new owner, which obviously doesn't guarantee anything even with a spay/neuter contract. I know that this problem will not get solved overnight, but I truly hope that in say, 10 years, a marked difference will have been made, as people like Hissy and TNR1 get the message out to spay and neuter and their tireless and often unappreciated work with TNR. One can only hope

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

I just read this thread for the first time and its kinda sad that 4 years later, it really seems like there has been no dent made in the pet overpopulation problems. TNR is becoming more widely accepted, thank goodness, as is pediatric spay/neuter which IMO is a key to reducing pet reproduction, if the pet is altered before it ever leaves the shelter or rescue group than it doesn't get left up to the new owner, which obviously doesn't guarantee anything even with a spay/neuter contract. I know that this problem will not get solved overnight, but I truly hope that in say, 10 years, a marked difference will have been made, as people like Hissy and TNR1 get the message out to spay and neuter and their tireless and often unappreciated work with TNR. One can only hope

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Thanks for the vote of confidence....we have to remember that cat advocacy and welfare has taken a back seat until recently to dog advocacy and welfare. There are many shelters that will take in dogs but have no provisions for cats. TNR has only recently become a practice that is widely accepted as a humane way of dealing with the cat overpopulation..and just look at the success of the Pregnancy forum here on TCS. So many people want to do right by these cats..and we need to give them avenues..whether it be low cost clinics, TNR or simply providing education.

I do keep track of the Virginia numbers and can report that since 2000 there has been a 5% drop in euthanizations of cats. I've also seen a decrease in the number of strays taken into shelters..which is a step in the right direction.

Katie

Originally Posted by bluekat

Spay & neuter is wonderful, but putting out statisics that are lies is silly. Case in point. A stray calico has made the rounds of my property for about 3 yrs. I had thought possibly she was a dumped spayed housepet, because she never seemed to have any kittens in 3 yrs. Well, now she has the prettiest little calico kitten, so guess I was wrong, but no way has that calico mother perpertuated some mega hundreds of cats in 3 yrs. She's got one sweet little baby. I'm trying to catch the kitten. It's perfectly marked. Had my fingers on it's fur today, but I wasn't fast enough.
bluekat

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Perhaps she was "lucky" enough to not have any intact males around....again, that statistics are regarding 1 intact male and 1 intact female and the "potential" numbers that can result. Number of kittens and survival rate do play a part...but once you have an intact female...you can bet that she will attract intact males...and other than the potential to reproduce, you also have the issues associated with mating....spraying, fighting, howling etc. etc. These can be addressed by spaying/neutering.

Katie

Anyone who does not believe that spaying and neutering is important should watch this film. (Select The Shelter.)

Pet stores that sell MIXED breed dogs/cats are a LOT to blame. I know this is a cat thread but it also applies to dogs. There is a store near me that constantly sells Puggles, labradoodles etc. They tell people they are pure and can be registered in their own registry They TRIED to sell kittens but the kittens died so they stopped. IF Pet stores would adopt (like Petsmart and Petco) and NOT sell that would be a help as the adopted ones are spayed and neutered.

OH and I have NEVER seen any feral cats or strays around me BUT that is because of the animal rescue people catching them, S & N them, taming what they can and returning those they can't!

ALL my 4 are rescues or at least cats nobody wanted!

Those labradoodles and others mixed are now designer dogs. It's sickening to think people are breeding mixed breeds when we already have millions dying in shelters everyday. Absolutely sickening.

This is why I NEVER supported breeders, there are zillions of cats around me that are deprived of a loving home, trying to survive in a world that does not want them, my Oscar is a rescue cat, and I intend to rescue more as long as I have the means.