Humane Society is offering a low-cost spay/neuter clinic Feb. 24
Overpopulation of cats as well as dogs continues to be a growing concern across the nation. The Holmes County Humane Society is now offering a perfect opportunity for pet owners to have their cats or dogs spayed or neutered at a low cost during its Feb. 24 event at Harvest Ridge.
Suppose Cute Kitty and Fluffy Kitty began to reproduce. These two adorable cats would procreate to the tune of two litters per year with an average of 2.8 kittens in the litter.
That would be quite the beautiful family of cats, wouldn’t it? However, the problem is cats don’t stop there, and left to their own breeding scheme, all of those cute, cuddly kittens would soon turn into a nation of cats in a very short time period.
According to Humane Society of the United States, in year one Cute and Fluffy and their offspring would produce 12 cats. However, in year two those cats would have produced 66 cats. Year three would turn into 382 cats, followed by 2,201, then 12,680 and so on until year 10, where one decade later the byproduct of Cute and Fluffy would be an eye-popping 80,399,780 cats running loose.
That’s a lot of cats, and even the most ardent of cat lovers would have problems feeding and caring for that kind of horde. It also is an issue with dogs but not to the same extent.
However, there is a humane answer. The best antidote to this problem is to spay and neuter as many cats and dogs as possible. Cats can start breeding as early as three or four months of age, and dogs are around six or seven months, so it is important to spay and neuter soon after they are weaned, thus greatly reducing the number of stray and feral cats and dogs that will roam the land uncared for and fending for themselves.
Seeing so many cats and dogs running rampant or locked away in cages at pounds and shelters creates overpopulation, which in turn means the need to euthanize animals, which nobody wants to see.
“I think a lot of counties are dealing with the overpopulation of animals right now,” said Jonathan Beam, Holmes Count dog warden. “We are experiencing a lack of adopters for the number of animals that are available for adoption. People are allowing animals to breed and then simply letting their puppies loose, and that has created the need to put thousands of these animals down around the country. The idea of getting an animal spayed or neutered is a great way to cut back on that overpopulation problem.”
The Holmes County Humane Society will host a spay/neuter clinic for cats and dogs on Sunday, Feb. 24 at the Holmes County Fairgrounds at Harvest Ridge, where the HCHS will team up with Rascal Unit to provide the spaying and neutering.
Rascal Unit consists of two mobile veterinary hospitals based out of Dublin, Ohio. The units travel throughout the state with the help of local humane organizations, pounds and shelters to bring affordable pet sterilization and routine veterinary care to individuals in need.
It is surprising how quickly two cats can suddenly become 80 million when left to their own device. If people let two cats breed at will and then allow their offspring to breed at will, this ridiculous number all of a sudden isn’t so ridiculous.
According to HSUS, every year far more kittens are born than there are people willing to adopt them. This means millions of kittens and cats are tragically euthanized every year.
While dogs do not reproduce as quickly as cats, overpopulation for dogs also is an ongoing concern, and the HSUS promotes the spaying and neutering of dogs as well in order to maintain a healthy and happy population.
Beam said this office experiences strays on a daily basis, and a lot of good dogs are put down because of the lack of space and care. He said there also is the issue of strays running wild, carrying disease and causing issues in communities.
“I pass 10 or 12 feral cats fending for themselves every single day on my way to work,” Beam said. “There are so many positives to spaying and neutering. It is just a matter of people taking the time and making the effort to have it done.”
He also said another big deterrent to having an animal spayed or neutered is the cost. While many people believe they can simply control their animals and keep them from reproducing, it doesn’t always work that way. Beam said this event is a terrific opportunity for pet owners to have their animals spayed or neutered for a fraction of the cost.
“People don’t want to spend a lot of money because they don’t see the immediate need and they never think about it, but the Rascal Unit is providing a perfect way for them to prevent overpopulation without spending a ton of money to have it done,” Beam said. “It is a golden opportunity.”
Not only does spaying and neutering cats help keep the population down and eliminate the process of having so many cats euthanized or worse, it has another positive purpose.
According to HSUS, spayed and neutered cats and dogs generally also make better pets because they tend to be calmer, gentler and less prone to fighting and wandering away from home, which is why the local animal advocates urge everyone to take a proactive step toward keeping communities stray-free zones.
Forms for the spaying and neutering event are available and must be turned in by Feb. 18 to reserve a spot. Any forms received after that date will be rescheduled for the next Rascal Clinic.
Forms may be downloaded on the website at www.holmeshumane.com, where forms can be printed and sent in or filled out online. Both emailed and mailed forms will reserve a spot.
Emailed forms may be sent to info@holmeshumane.com while mailed forms may be sent to HCHS, P.O. Box 442, Millersburg, OH 44654. Call 330-377-4026 for more information.