North Birmingham Cats Protection is campaigning this Father’s Day to put a stop to irresponsible fathers that ‘sow their wild oats’ without considering the consequences.
Too many male cats remain unneutered, leading to the overpopulation of stray cats in inner city areas.
NBCP Welfare Officer Jane Holt says, “We have over 90 cats and kittens in the North Birmingham branch right now, with many more on the streets that we are unable to help. Owners of male cats often don’t feel the need to neuter as they don’t see the consequences of unwanted kittens, but neutering is essential to reduce the number of unwanted cats.”
Besides controlling the cat population, neutering has many secondary benefits for male cats and their humans, including:
- Less likely to roam, reducing the risk of road traffic accidents and death
- Less likely to get into fights with other cats, reducing the risk of injury and serious infectious diseases such as FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, the cat equivalent to HIV) and FeLV (Feline Leukaemia Virus)
- Less likely to display territorial behaviour, such as spraying
- No risk of testicular tumours
Jane continued, “We have a couple of older male cats in the branch that have tested positive for FIV. One of them, Scooter (pictured), came to us in a terrible state. His tattered ear shows the battle scars from fighting, most likely with territorial unneutered male cats who passed on the FIV infection. Sadly he now has to live an indoor life, so that he can’t pass on FIV to other cats.”
Scooter is looking for a permanent indoor foster home as an only pet, ideally with someone retired or working from home. His current fosterer Emma Truman says, "He loves human company and with the right fosterer, Scooter has a good few years left in him. North Birmingham Cats Protection will continue to support him financially for his on-going medical needs."
Neutering is a straightforward procedure for male cats, and the operation can be done the same day, without a night at the vets.
Financial support for cat owners
Cats Protection offers vouchers towards the cost of neutering, meaning that the operation can be carried out for a small top-up charge – often as little as £10. Vouchers are available to cat owners on low incomes or benefits. To see if you qualify for financial help with neutering, call the branch on 0845 2601 503.
More on Neutering:
In the 5 years from 2007 to 2011 Cats Protection has helped with neutering over 800,000 cats across the UK.