About us
Being a responsible cat owner
Author Fiona Maddison
Promotions Officer, Canterbury SPCA
- Early desexing of cats and kittens is good for your neighbourhood and the health of your pet.
Kitten season will soon be underway, but sadly, many of these kittens will be unwanted. Fiona Maddison from Canterbury SPCA has some good information and advice on ways to avoid this seasonal problem.
Late spring to mid-autumn is generally the kitten birthing season, and each year, towns and cities are populated with hundreds of unwanted kittens. These cute little furry bundles soon grow into adult cats, and the breeding cycle starts all over again.
Did you know that a female cat can conceive as young as four months of age? A pregnancy normally lasts from 64 to 69 days, and a female can come into heat two to five times a year. With up to five kittens in a litter, one female cat could produce up to 25 kittens in one season.
Male cats reach puberty around six to eight months of age, and if left unneutered, they can father a great number of unwanted kittens for up to 14 years or more. Unneutered males are also very territorial. They get into fights regularly, and any injuries may result in costly vet bills.
The welfare of animals is vitally important to the SPCA. Every year, our animal centres are put under immense pressure to take in unwanted, stray and lost cats and kittens. We don't like seeing and hearing about starving or dying animals.
So what can you do to help? If you own a cat or kitten, please take responsibility to get it desexed - this will result in fewer unwanted kittens in the future. Early speying and neutering of young cats is encouraged by the SPCA and will have no ill-effects on their health or well-being.
Ring around your local veterinary clinics and compare prices to have your pet desexed. Make sure you are comparing prices for exactly the same service and treatments.
How can you help?
Become a responsible cat owner and help reduce the population of unwanted cats in your neighbourhood:
- Have your male or female cat desexed at your local veterinary clinic as early as possible.
- Have kittens desexed before they go to new homes.
- If you are moving home, don't leave your cats or kittens behind - please either take them with you or give them to people who will look after them.
You asked us
Q. Can I have a pet in my home?
A. We recognise that having pets is part of normal family life, and we allow tenants to have pets in some situations, but you have to arrange this with us first. Some properties are more suited to pets than others, and decisions about whether pets are permitted in them, and in what number, are made on a case-by-case basis.
Q. Are dogs allowed?
A. Generally, we don't allow dogs in your home. If you do want to keep a dog, you must ask us to make an exception. We consider all requests for dogs on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the breed and the type of home you're living in. If we allow you to keep a dog, you need to sign an agreement that the animal is registered and kept under control on the property. If the dog becomes a persistent nuisance or a hazard, you may have to remove it from the property.
