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Non sterilized cats: 1+1=12
Published on October 13th 2021
We'll be honest: the shelter is overflowing. These days, we admit on average over 50 cats and kittens per week, most of them in immediate need of care or in a critical situation. For this reason, we ask all citizens who encounter stray cats or find themselves with kittens they can no longer care for to contact us to make an appointment. While this may be a slight inconvenience to you, this short delay saves lives and avoids unwarranted euthanasia of healthy animals that may very well be placed for adoption in the near future. Let us give you some numbers to illustrate this.
This about this: two cats share the same territory, one male and one female, both not sterilized. They roam around happily, without any worries. If we calculate that the gestation period of a female cat is about 52 to 56 days and that a female cat can give birth, on average, to 12 kittens per year between the end of winter and the end of summer, that's when things get wild. If those 14 kitties (mom, dad, and the previous year's 12) are all roaming the territory, the following year you could expect to find 144 cats! If all of these cats survive and reproduce, and are not spayed or neutered, we could have over 20,000 cats in this area after only four years!
You can help us fight the scourge of overpopulation, both in our communities and at the shelter, by taking a few simple actions.
- If you have a cat at home that goes outside freely (make sure you know and respect your municipality's bylaws on this!), have it spayed or neutered as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will be able to help you (be patient, our veterinarian colleagues are also overwhelmed with increasing demand).
- If you have stray cats in the area, be conscientious. If they are healthy, please do not get involved. We, unfortunately, do not have the capacity to intervene on all stray cats at this time, but we continue to work on our spay/neuter and release programs.
- If you have an injured stray cat or have a cat/kittens that you can no longer care for, contact us as soon as possible. We will consider your situation and coordinate an appointment to bring the animal to the shelter.
We know it can be frustrating to be told "no". Please know, however, that we are not saying "no" to you, only "not today", and that this response is entirely motivated by our desire to ensure the best possible care for animals in need.
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