Spay/Neuter Your Cats!

[TWB Cat Sitter]

It's hard to believe that in 2024, we're still seeing countless posts about lost kittens, heavily pregnant & missing cats, abandoned litters & strays struggling to survive. Every photo of tiny, helpless kittens found in bushes or by the roadside is a painful reminder of a problem that's entirely preventable. It doesn't have to be this way.

We've come too far to still be facing these avoidable tragedies. Spaying & neutering is not just a suggestion, it's a responsibility. It protects our felines from a host of health & behavioural challenges.

I want to take a moment to share why this is critical;

Overpopulation Crisis

Thousands of cats & kittens already wait in shelters for a second chance. Unplanned litters only add to these heartbreaking statistics, with many never finding homes. Not all shelters have a non-destruction (no-kill) policy.

Health Benefits

Spaying eliminates the risk of uterine infections & drastically reduces the chances of breast cancer/mammary tumors in females. Neutering prevents testicular cancer & reduces the likelihood of territorial marking & aggression in males.

Reducing Strays

Fewer unplanned litters means fewer strays & feral cats living on the streets, where they face dangers like cars, predators & disease. Did you know that strays have a lifespan of 2-5 years?

Supporting Local Ecosystems

Furthermore, feral & stray cats can unintentionally discrupt local ecosystems by hunting birds & small mammals. By spaying & neutering, we can reduce this impact while also ensuring that feral cats are cared for through managed colonies.

Improving Community Wellbeing

Neutering helps control roaming & fighting among intact males, creating safer & calmer neighbourhoods for everyone.

If you or someone you know has recently purchased, adopted or found a kitten or stray, make it a priority to reach out to your vets or connect with local organisations like Celia Hammond Animal Trust, Cats Protection or Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) initiatives in your area. Many offer free or low-cost spay & neuter services, ensuring this lifesaving option is accessible to all.

Most professionals recommend kittens be spayed & neutered at 4 months. All kittens should be spayed & neutered by the time they hit 6 months.

Kittens should not be given access to roam outdoors until they have been spayed or neutered, as kittens can get pregnant as early as 4 months { !!! }

East Dulwich is a cat-loving community, whether we have a little lion of our own or not, we tend to take the initiative to post what we believe to be missing cats, but the greater issue is that many cats are not being spayed or neutered. So please, let's sow the seed of change for 2025 & educate our friends, family & community on the importance of spaying & neutering our cats, & put an end to overbreeding.
 

Thank you x

[colville09]

Thank you for posting this Wingless Bird, so well put…

[malumbu]

Not sure if you added Tomd that have not been neutered terrorising other cats in the area.  Happened round here.  Would have been tempted to castrate the tom if I'd caught it.  Water pistol was not a deterrent.  Vets bills due to various attacks on other moggies was not insignificant 

[TWB Cat Sitter]

23 hours ago, malumbu said:

Not sure if you added Tomd that have not been neutered terrorising other cats in the area.  Happened round here.  Would have been tempted to castrate the tom if I'd caught it.  Water pistol was not a deterrent.  Vets bills due to various attacks on other moggies was not insignificant 

Malumbu, you're absolutely right. The vet bills due to attacks on neighbouring cats are certainly not insignificant at all. The wounds can even lead to fatalities. I always urge clients, neighbours & community posters to target the root cause, as opposed to skirting around the underlying & often persistent issue. Connecting with local organisations like Celia Hammond Animal Trust, Cats Protection or Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) initiatives is a longterm solution. This is highlighted, although briefly, under Improving Community Wellbeing.

- I'd also like to highlight that if ever unsure whether the culprit is intact, owned or feral, & are hesitant to report, just in case it's a neighbour's neutered cat, you can call upon a Scan Angel or our team at TWB to check for a microchip first.

- If the culprit does happen to be a neighbour's neutered cat, there are a variety of solution; both immediate & longterm that I would be more than happy to help with. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]

Edited 3 hours ago by TWB Cat Sitter

[Nigello]

Folk can’t even be bothered to put a collar and bell around their moggy’s neck so the chance of getting them to sterilise said creatures seems tiny to me. 

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

If you've ever seen a cat caught in a hedge by its collar, you wouldn't use one either. 

[SpringTime]

Agree with a bell, or two maybe three. Stop these middle east mogs killing our birds   x

Edited 13 hours ago by SpringTime

[1921]

Well said LWB ! 

 

[sebastiondangerfield]

Spotted a little flock of Dunnocks flying in and out of a hedge in Goodrich Road the other day. Cats will probably wipe them out soon.

[TWB Cat Sitter]

10 hours ago, Nigello said:

Folk can’t even be bothered to put a collar and bell around their moggy’s neck so the chance of getting them to sterilise said creatures seems tiny to me. 

Hi Nigello,

Many spayed/neutered & microchipped cats actually don't wear collars, as they often go missing & can pose risks.  Microchipping is far more reliable for reuniting lost cats with their guardians. Some of our clients even keep sacks of collars on standby because their cats frequently return without them - a comical but telling example of how impractical collars can be.

A major contributor to unspayed/unneutered cats & kittens is purchasing from breeders, where these measures are often overlooked. Adopting from shelters, on the other hand, ensures all precautionary steps - like spaying/neutering, microchipping, as well as vaccinations - are already in place.

[malumbu]

10 hours ago, SpringTime said:

Agree with a bell, or two maybe three. Stop these middle east mogs killing our birds   x

But we can train them to kill the foreign invaders, green sqwaky things, and the rats with feathers 

[TWB Cat Sitter]

10 hours ago, SpringTime said:

Agree with a bell, or two maybe three. Stop these middle east mogs killing our birds   x

Hi SpringTime,

I completely understand the concern for protecting birds, but using bells on cats is a bit more complicated. While they may reduce hunting success, they're not always effective & can cause stress for some cats, who are highly sensitive to sound. A better solution is to ensure cats are kept indoors during peak bird activity & providing plenty of enrichment at home to satisfy their hunting instincts.

There's a terrible misconception that cats do not require as much mental & physical enrichment as dogs do. But they do, if not more so.