Every year is pretty much the same. Every year a new season of kittens being born everywhere. Although they are very cute and spring is a very happy time for nature, we should be aware of the balance of nature too.
Domestication Of Cats
Since the domestication of cats, the amount of cats per country has increased exponentially. There are worldwide over 600 million domestic cats to be found. That is domestic cats and not even the amount of feral cats living in the world freely, which is estimated to 158 million back in 2007.
It was thought that the domestication of cats found its origin in Ancient Egypt. But since scientists have found a grave with a cat in it in Cyprus from 9.500 years ago, it is more likely that cats have domesticated themselves long before that.
Through DNA research, scientists have now proven that some 10.000 years ago some wild cats decided to domesticate themselves by moving from the forest to the small human settlements. It was at the same time that humans started to produce wheat and barley. Wheat and barley attracted mice and rats. The humans were more than happy to have these cats take care of them and so the cycle of food led to the domestication of this wild forest cat. It is worth of note that the cat itself wanted to domesticate, not just a human wanting to have a cat.
This must have saved at least one type of cat species, for the other 36 wild cat species are currently on the danger list of extinction.
Over Population
Each year again, many non-spayed cats become pregnant and get a nest full of kittens. The animal protection and other shelters get flooded with requests to take over care for them. Worse yet, people that get these surprises dump their kittens anywhere to get rid of the ‘problem’. Together with the animal protection, we find kittens at fuel stations next to the highway, in dump containers or we find them dumped in nature to take care of themselves.
We have also seen worse cases where they get put in bags and thrown into water or in the side of the road. I don’t understand how people can do these cruel things without feeling guilty or bad. How can people get so careless about nature and animals around them?
But apart from these bad examples I also see the slightly better version where people give away or sell their kittens for a low price to the willing people to adopt them.
We have, as animal protection member and foster home for three cats, a huge problem in this time of year however. With all these many available kittens everywhere, nobody wants to adopt a cat from the animal protection.
And because no cats get adopted away, we cannot either take in new project cats.
Animal Protection Campaigns
The animal protection however does it best in saving the animals they can or have capacity for. They keep on advertising the many sheltered cats and try to adopt them away, so that they can take in more cats.
With the income they get, they can invest in all the foster homes and give them food and cat litter so all the foster cats get their needs fulfilled. New cats get their health check and the necessary neutering/spaying and chipping paid for.
In this time of year they will have a garage sale to collect money for future projects, but they also work continuously on giving people info on neutering or spaying their cats, so they can reduce the future newborn kittens.
Spaying / Neutering
While people don’t want to have all these kittens, people seem to forget that they are in control of these events to some level. First of all, if you have a cat that is still whole, it is perhaps time to make an appointment with the veterinary and neuter or spay their cat.
On the other hand they could at least make sure that their animal stays inside for the duration of their heat. But holding in a female cat on heat is nearly impossible. First of all this natural process will make sure your house will be visited by many willing male cats. Secondary, your female cat will take any opportunity their is to run past your legs outside to mate.
The animal protection here in Norway works together with the veterinarian clinics and offer special package prices to neuter/spay your cat at a reduced price, often in combination with chipping and a health check. This all in place just to make sure that people are more willing to do this necessary job and reducing the population of cats.
Cats hunt for food instinctively, so your cat will not lose their hunting instinct after neutering or spaying. And their are many more benefits of neutering/spaying your cat.
In the meantime, we hope that someone is willing to adopt either of the linked cats, so that their will be room again for new ones to be saved!
Update: Chanel And Fluffy have found a new home. Now we got a new kitten in their place.
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