Why?

[dandysmom]

It's appalling; owners of unspayed females who are then surprised and dismayed at the continuing litters!! HOW can we get the spay/neuter message out???

[angieh]

It has to be education in the first instance IMO. If only animals charities could get together and produce a simple eye-opening leaflet which is given out at the tills of the big supermarket chains ....... probably loads of people never visit a vet surgery. Or a TV/radio campaign?

[truthisouthere]

Originally Posted by angieh

It has to be education in the first instance IMO. If only animals charities could get together and produce a simple eye-opening leaflet which is given out at the tills of the big supermarket chains ....... probably loads of people never visit a vet surgery. Or a TV/radio campaign?

A very good idea. People just don't realise that in just over a year one sexually mature cat cat can produce 1 lot of 6, x 6 = 36 (her kittens' offspring) x 6 = 216 cats (original cat's children's children's offspring). This is from just one litter from just one cat in origin, then just one litter from the offspring, and one litter from her 'grandchildren'. It's frightening!

[Velvet]

Was contacted tonight about three kittens living rough in an alleyway, they are frightened of people so must be feral kittens living rough, no doubt more of them nearby. Have set the wheels in motion and a friend who TNR is going to go out and try and trap them

Over here our dog licences are rising to £12 a dog next month and it will be compulsory to microchip every dog. At present most vets are doing free microchipping

The only one of our pets that isnt microchipped is Mindy, she will be microchipped when she goes in for her spay and under the anaesthetic

Could microchipping be the way forward for cats as well?

[angieh]

Certainly there are lots of good reasons to have your cat microchipped. Both mine are. Unfortunately it won't stop them breeding.

But what a good idea for the future - I wonder if it would be possible to incorporate a lifetime contraceptive in the chip?

[dandysmom]

That's an intriguing thought, Angie, perhaps not in the chip, but at exam time possibly? There's experimental work going on here with a deer contraceptive that lasts for several years to cut down on the ever-increasing population. Different species, but wouldn't it be helpful for cats? Here's a link if anyone is interested:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Aug18.html

[angieh]

That's very interesting Eileen ..... I like the phrase "able to rut without regret"!!!

[dandysmom]

Deer are an increasing problem in the suburbs, their habitat is lessened and they're invading gardens to eat, and causing many car crashes. The herds need to be thinned but many people object vigorously to "shooting Bambi". Is it better to die slowly of starvation as the land cannot support the numbers, or quickly with a shot?

[Velvet]

Interesting idea - the cost might put others off trying it, it says in the article that it's expensive.

When I was in the petstore today their notice board was full of ads for kittens free to good homes. It was a big board

[truthisouthere]

Originally Posted by dandysmom

Deer are an increasing problem in the suburbs, their habitat is lessened and they're invading gardens to eat, and causing many car crashes. The herds need to be thinned but many people object vigorously to "shooting Bambi". Is it better to die slowly of starvation as the land cannot support the numbers, or quickly with a shot?

'Problem'?..It's mankind that's the problem making their land ever smaller to live in and forcing them to live closer to us. We as a species find it harder to adapt to living with another animal without feeling the need to control everything, or reduce the numbers, when at the end of the day it's all our doing and it's the voiceless animal who must pay the price with their lives. It makes me ashamed to be a part of the human species sometimes..

..but I know what you're saying dandysmom and that is the point I think you've somewhat made here too. What to do when an animal 'gets in our way' is to shoot it or otherwise control it, far better to adress the root of the problem and curtail our own breeding?!