One Simple Way to Help Cats This Week – February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month

February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month so it’s the perfect time to tell someone about the benefits of “sneutering” their kitty.

As you may know, MRFRS was founded in response to a tragic feline overpopulation problem on the waterfront in Newburyport. Litters of kittens were found amongst broken glass and garbage in dumpsters and starving, sick cats would beg for food from diners at downtown restaurants. It was heartbreaking.

Through dedication and a rigorous TNR program, not only has the situation in Newburyport been mitigated, the homeless pet population all over the North Shore has been reduced. However, the progress that’s been made to prevent this suffering could be erased in a blink of an eye if people were to stop spaying or neutering their cats.

At MRFRS, we spay or neuter every kitty before adoption, offer low-cost services on The Catmobile, and offer free Sunday Feral Clinics where unowned cats can be spayed or neutered. Clearly, we’d like to make it as easy as possible for everyone to prevent unwanted litters. But by virtue of the fact that “kitten season” still brings a wave of unwanted kittens and abandoned cats, we can assume there are many cat parents that aren’t aware of the benefits of spay/neuter or believe some of the myths about the surgery.

That’s where you come in. We need you to help spread the word to help control the homeless pet population. Here’s the top nine reasons to spay or neuter your pet according to the ASPCA to help inspire your spay/neuter conversation.

Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.

Neutering provides major health benefits for your male. Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer.

Your spayed female won’t go into heat. While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during the breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they’ll yowl and urinate more frequently-sometimes all over the house!

Your neutered male will be much better behaved. Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat. Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds-not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

It is highly cost-effective. The cost of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!

Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community. Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.

Your pet doesn’t need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth. Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children-especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.

Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation. Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

To read the full article, visit Fetch by Web MD.

Hopefully, this information will help you to spread the word about spay/neuter. If you ever have a question about MRFRS’s spay/neuter options, please email info@mrfrs.org.