One controversial issue in shelter settings is whether or not to spay a rescued pregnant cat. While some people are disturbed at the thought of the embryos or fetuses being euthanized, others believe it is a strategy to combat pet overpopulation and to avoid the euthanasia of healthy adult animals when shelter resources are limited.
Cats are very efficient at reproduction and are capable of delivering 2 litters a year once they reach sexual maturity. It is fairly common for a cat to have its first estrus (heat) between four and six months of age so it is likely that an unspayed female cat will get pregnant if she encounters a male cat. This means many female cats will arrive at animal shelters in some stage of pregnancy and will deliver large litters of kittens needing medical care, resources, and good homes.
Spaying of a pregnant cat includes euthanasia of the embryos, a concept that may trigger an emotional reaction. However, shelters must carefully allocate their resources and for some, the euthanasia of embryos may seem more humane than having to euthanize healthy adult animals due to lack of space and resources.
Animal shelters approach the issue in many different ways including:
This issue is emotional on both sides. Proponents of spaying don't like having to euthanize embryos or fetuses, but their position is based on a difficult trade-off in shelters which means that some animals often must be euthanized due to limited resources. It becomes a question of which animals to save. Opponents might argue that kittens tend to be highly adoptable and that it is more humane to allow a cat to deliver her kittens before spaying her.
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The larger issue should be addressed first, that of an enormous cat overpopulation problem, primarily caused by large numbers of un-spayed and un-neutered cats with high rates of successful matings, and large litters of kittens. Many outdoor cats are cared for by numerous people in a community and no one takes primary ownership of these semi-stray cats, so they are not spayed and neutered and often do not receive routine veterinary care. A pregnant female cat and her descendants can account for the births of several hundred kittens in just a few years. (A female cat is capable of bearing two litters of kittens each year.)
Animal rescue groups, humane societies, and TNR (trap-neuter-release) groups are overwhelmed in trying to control cat populations, 'Kitten season," which extends through Spring, Summer and early Fall, stretches resources even thinner as shelters and rescue groups swell with orphaned kittens needing laborious care. The influx of kittens may mean less space for older cats at shelters. There isn't enough space and resources to care for them all, and something must give.
While spaying a non-pregnant female cat will prevent the births of many future kittens, spaying a pregnant female cat leads to the euthanasia of identifiable embryos or fetuses, a thought that some people find upsetting.
Individual shelters and rescue groups make their own protocols for how to approach these situations, and it may change throughout the year depending on available resources. This dilemma can hopefully be avoided as more cat owners are educated to be responsible caregivers and spay and neuter their cats. Most cats can be spayed and neutered before they are of reproductive age - as early as 2 months old, but most commonly around 4-6 months old
If more and more kittens are born each year, more and more stray cats will appear, and the feline overpopulation problem will increase. That is why this it is so important to educate owners to spay and neuter their pets.
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