Second Chance: Spay, Don’t Breed

20 Jul Second Chance: Spay, Don’t Breed

Dear Pet Column,

Our family has a young female cat that has not been spayed yet. We are thinking about letting her have one litter so that our children can experience the kittens being born and cared for by their mother. My question is: How long after she has her kittens should we have her spayed?

Sincerely, Momma Cat Concerned

Dear Concerned,

My name is River. I am a nine-week-young Siamese mix kitten born at the Second Chance shelter; my Mom delivered us shortly after arriving here. As a kitten born and raised in a shelter the best piece of advice I can give you is to have your cat spayed right away. Given the millions of homeless cats in the country – thousands being euthanized daily – having “just one litter” is one litter too many.

I understand your desire to have your children witness the miracle of birth – although, having recently had the experience, I think all the hype is a bit overrated. However, I strongly believe it is far more important to teach your children about the problem of pet overpopulation and encourage them to help solve the problem, rather than adding to it. Bringing your children in to volunteer at a shelter is a superior educational opportunity. Additionally, there are often very young kittens such as myself at shelters for them to interact with.

Another concern with having “just one litter” is that in less than a year, kittens from your cat’s litter could be having litters of their own, and so on and so forth – thus one litter turns into countless litters.

An average cat has 1-8 kittens per litter and 2-3 litters per year. During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. Thus, a single pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.  It is important to also remember that every kitten you allow to be born takes a home away from a kitten like me who is already alive and homeless.

While we are on the subject, I would like to debunk other breeding misnomers, such as the one that the spay/neuter of a pet will alter its personality and make it fat and lazy. Take it from me, the primary influence on an animal’s personality and behavior is from the kindness and care from which it is raised. As for fat and lazy, this too is typically traced to the fault of the pet owner and not the pet –quite simply, too much food and too little exercise make for a fat and lazy pet (just like you human folk).

The reality is that unaltered pets typically exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than those who have been spayed/neutered. Also, spayed/neutered pets are less likely to wander and have a reduced chance of suffering several types of cancer later in life.

Another myth against spaying/neutering is that it is not “natural.” Here I must point out that the “natural” has been removed from cats and dogs since we were domesticated thousands of years ago and once humans started messing around with “breed development” the “natural” concept was even further removed. Thus, from my point of view, humans are now wholly responsible for pet population control – and preventing litters is the most humane solution and a far superior solution to euthanization.

So here is my final offer… adopt me, a friendly socialized adorable kitten, or one of the MANY kittens currently here at the Shelter and give your children a lifetime of cuddly cat memories – which I am sure they would prefer to the memory of your cat squeezing wet, nappy kitten-aliens out of its “butt.”

Sidney

And it is my pleasure to introduce the Second Chance Dog of the Week!  Sydney is a two-year-old beautiful Queensland Heeler. Sydney is a smallish dog, just 30 lbs. and has a typical loyal and loving working dog spirit, so she will do great with an active family and lots of training and exercise. Sydney is fond of lasagna and jelly beans, but should only receive those treats on rare occasions.

Editor’s note: It’s no secret. The Telluride region is dog heaven. Well, pet heaven. Unless you are one of our furry friends who gets caught in the maw of neglect and abuse. Then heaven is on hold until Second Chance Humane Society comes to the rescue. Second Chance is the region’s nonprofit dedicated to saving animals’ lives and promoting responsible pet parenting and human-animal bond. In her weekly blog, executive director Kelly Goodin profiles at least one, generally two of the many animals now living at the no-kill shelter, Angel Ridge Shelter, a dog and a cat, hoping to find them loving permanent homes. The column is sponsored by Ted Hoff of Cottonwood Ranch & Kennel, who from time to time exercises his skills as a dog whisperer, partnering with Kelly and her staff to help train a particularly challenging animal.

Ted Hoff &  Magnificent Mae

By the by, there is no better place to park your pup or get your pup (or adult dog) trained than Cottonwood whenever you head out of town (for locals) or are heading to town and staying somewhere that does not allow pets. Consider joining Ted’s Very Important Dog (VID) Club for added benies. (Details on Ted’s website.)

Dr. Michelle and Wallowby