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Act now to prevent Christmas cat dumping

07/Jul/2010

Comments: 7 readers have left a comment

CAT welfare groups want people to sterilise their pets before breeding season starts in August to reduce the high number of unwanted kittens being dumped during the Christmas period.

Cat Haven spokeswoman Jessica Reid said thousands of unwanted kittens were received by cat shelters last Christmas with many of them put down.

“If more cats were sterilised before the start of breeding season this awful situation could be prevented,” Ms Reid said.

Australian Veterinary Association (WA) president Garry Edgar and RSPCA spokesman Tim Payne said people also needed to take responsibility for 'unclaimed cats'.

“Some people need to be more responsible for the cats they are feeding.” Dr Edgar said.

“Semi-owned cats that are being fed by irresponsible people are often the source of these unwanted kittens. Do not just feed a cat, de-sex it and let it become a pet for life.”

What everyone else is thinking

Before Getting a Cat, Save The Money To Sterilize

23/07/2010

Please,everyone-get a short term Cash Converters loan.... pawn something... whatever it takes, please desex at six months.

Better yet: At the point where you make a decision to have an animal, FIRST save up that money you will need in six month's time,put it in a six month term deposit so you can't touch it, and then when the time rolls around, please be responsible and use that money to care for your pet.

A cat with reproductive power means kittens will be born and die,or be born and suffer, for no reason at all. By letting cats wander around when they are not desexed, you end up with fights and nuisance behavior - don't be responsible for people around you getting the idea that cats are a nuisance, which can encourage people to mistreat them.

My local vet constantly has kittens available to adopt...the next week or fortnight they're gone, and I know they've been taken to the cat haven and likely destroyed. It breaks my heart.

cat lover

09/07/2010

We can't have a community desexing clinic, outreach desexing for at risk pets, or mobile desexing vehicle - all of the things that have brought down the euthanasia rate in other states - because of out dated legislation?!

Now that *is* outrageous! Funny how it wasn't mentioned in the original article. I expect future campaigns will focus on getting these laws changed and not just bleating the same old rhetoric that Perth people are too 'irresponsible' to desex and too backward to care for and appreciate their pets.

All state RSPCA's have faced these same hurdles, getting the trust of local vets. The difference here is WA lacks the leadership to truly put saving the lives of pets above taking the easy road of blaming the public and killing 'because there is no other way'.

Tim Mayne - RSPCA

09/07/2010

In regards to the comments about other state RSPCAs having mobile desexing vans and public vet clinics which we do not have here in WA, the answer is that unfortunately the RSPCA WA cannot run a public vet clinic under WA's outdated Vet Surgeon's Act.

Alice Kensington

09/07/2010

Come on, if you can afford to buy a dvd once a week, your favourite icecream or a magazine you can afford sterilisation. Everyone can afford sterilisation, the fact is you dont see it as a financial priority which is the real reason people wont sterilise so lets be truthful here. You choose to spend your money on other things instead of looking after your pet properly which sickens me. I took up Cat Haven's pensioner discount offer last year and had my cat sterilised for only $30 but theres heaps of other other places that do that too- shop around. Even if you cant find a good discount take out a bank loan for $120 and pay the bank back $5 a month. Anyone can afford $5 a month. I really think people like yourself need to stop this welfare mentality that tax payers and organisations need to fund your expenses when you cant afford something. If you cant afford it, dont buy it and stop complaining that the government should buy it for you. Simple as that.

cat lover

08/07/2010

Many vets offer a 20% discount for pensioners (although they're not obligated to), while the Cat Haven offer a $20 discount. The RSPCA offers nothing.

This could hardly be described as a significant level of community support.

While popular, purporting that only people who can afford them should have pets has, never had a measurable effect on pound kill rates. Calling the community 'irresponsible' has never had an effect on pound kill rates. Why would we want to keep doing what clearly isn't working?

What HAS brought down the kill rates at pounds, is targeted desexing programs for at-risk pets - helping the community, rather than criticising it. Other state RSPCA's have a mobile desexing vans, community clinics and extensive program for low income earners. Why don't we?

Cost is the single biggest hurdle to compliance. If we're serious about reducing cat overpopulation, we need to do more than tell people each year to desex - we need to help them by giving them the tools to do it.

Alice Kensington

08/07/2010

Cat lover

There are lots of places that offer subsidised sterilisation, all you have to do is look. Sterilisation only needs to happen once over the cats entire life. If you cannot afford to be a responsible pet owner and pay a measly one off $120 or a lot less if you get it subsidised (over the cats entire life that is less than $5 a year) you really shouldnt own a cat. Its not fair that because you want to take on a cat but not pay for it to be looked after properly that your cat will breed and create offspring that are put to sleep and feral cats that cause a nuissance to your neighbours. I am a cat lover too and have a cat that is sterilised. I dont make a lot of money either but I was aware that these are the responsibilities that you have if you own a cat. If its too much, dont own one.

cat lover

07/07/2010

Despite having wealthy animal welfare groups like the RSPCA taking in millions in donations in the name of 'helping pets' - there is no low cost, public cat desexing program in WA. The pets of the elderly and disadvantaged of WA are offered little in support.

It's no coincidence that a lot of these people are also the compassionate in our community - caring for semi-owned cats.

How about instead of calling people 'irresponsible' and condemning them with mandatory desexing laws (which do little to protect cats or help their owners afford the surgery) - - we actually give those in the community who need it, some help?

Poor people like having pets too. They have huge benefits to the elderly and isolated. When will animal welfare groups stop name calling and start supporting?