Pet Overpopulation Essay

Many generations later, no longer dependent on meat and fish for his diet, man learned to grow and store grains. He didn’t attempt to tame cats, but observing their prowess at destroying the rats that ransacked his granaries, he began to encourage their proliferation. Later, laws were passed to protect the cats, and in some cultures, mainly those under Egyptian influence, the cats were worshiped as Gods, which even today, cats claim as their right. Today, however, cats have deigned to share their lives with Man.

The Chinese have a saying that if you save someone’s life, then you are responsible for him from that moment on. Man may not have saved cats and dogs from extinction, but he is responsible for having taken them away from their natural habitat, and making them dependent on him. Today, cat and dog overpopulation, in this country, is a problem that has reached enormous proportions.

For every human child that is born, dogs whelp fifteen puppies, and cats give birth to forty five kittens. Based on an average lifespan of ten years per animal and seventy five years for humans, for this many animals to have homes, a family of five would have to harbor ten dogs and thirty cats at all times.

Many of the dogs and most of the cats end up in shelters where they are euthanized, because there are not enough homes for them. There will never be enough shelters to house them. The only answer is to establish free and low cost spay and neuter clinics, and to educate the public to have their animals spayed and neutered to prevent indiscriminate breeding.

One deterrent to spay and neuter is the attitude of the, so-called, "macho" type of young man who says "You’re not gonna make a wimp out of my dog!", or "Leave my cat alone! Let him have his fun." The truth is: neutered dogs and cats become less aggressive and therefore more playful, and develop stronger ties to their owners. Spayed females are less shy and more affectionate.

Another, even more inane reason, is put forth by many young women who state, "Oh, I want my cat/dog to have at least one litter to know what it’s like to be a mother!" or "I want my children to be able to see the puppies/kittens being born," or "Oh, he/she will get too fat and lazy." The truth is: spaying female pets virtually eliminates not only uterine cancer, but breast cancer too; male dogs and cats who are neutered at a young age seldom develop prostate problems and . . . the cost of spaying and neutering is much less than the cost of veterinary care, that is engendered by animals who develop prostate, breast or uterine cancer, and obesity in pets can be avoided. A healthy diet and plentiful exercise is just as necessary for pets, as it is for their owners. Spayed and neutered animals make much better pets, and the video tape, The Miracle of Life offers you a chance to teach your children two lessons: the miracle itself, and the responsibility of preventing unwanted births.

Abandonment of family pets is the largest contributor to the overpopulation dilemma. Many people move away and leave their cats behind in the mistaken assumption that cats can fend for themselves. The truth is: A cat who has been raised in a household, and had its food provided, is ill-equipped to survive on its own. Often, neighbor’s will feed the cat, but upon discovering that it’s pregnant they call a shelter to pick the animal up, or they continue to feed it and soon they are feeding five more cats.

The queen, as a mother cat is known, having been abandoned by those she loved and trusted, has now lost that trust and instills fear in her kittens. They are now first generation feral cats, distrustful of humans, but still capable of being domesticated and turned into loving pets - if one can catch them and handle them while they are still babies.

The kittens who remain with the mother are soon scrounging for food, and assuming that at least two were females, in less than six months there will probably be fifteen cats in this colony, ten of which are now second generation feral cats, unlikely ever to have homes.

Fortunately there are many organizations who have stepped in to provide for these cats in the wild. The Feral Cat Coalition in San Diego County, Animal Samaritans, in the desert areas, and Alley Cat Allies, in many parts of the country, are just a few of the organizations that promote "Trap-Neuter-Return" programs.

Some veterinarians are donating their time and the use of their facilities to spay or neuter the feral cats, and treat obvious problems such as abscesses. Some clinics also provide rabies and leukemia vaccines.

On one Sunday alone, sponsored by the Feral Cat Coalition of San Diego, fourteen vets assisted by one hundred twenty volunteers spayed or neutered three hundred nineteen cats in a four-hour period. While still unconscious, the cats were groomed, by the volunteers, who first determined that the cats were breathing normally and that there was no excessive bleeding. Next they checked them for fleas and tapeworm, removed mattes from their coats, cleaned their ears and examined them for ear mites; then the volunteers clipped the cats’ left ears as a sign to future rescuers that these cats had been altered. If any problems were encountered the cat received further treatment, including ear mite medicine or an injection to kill tape worm. When all was completed the animals were returned to their carriers until they were fully awake. Males were released the same night and females were released after twenty four hours.

Although family pets may be neutered and spayed as young as eight weeks, feral cats should be six months old, because untrapped, aggressive cats, or even older, altered ones, might injure the youngsters before they have a chance to heal.

Cats aren’t the only species that man taught to rely on him for support and then abandoned. Ask any of your friends who live out in the "boonies." Like the acreage in the "Oklahoma land rush," many irresponsible dog owners think any land outside the city limits is up for grabs by dogs. Unwanted puppies, and older dogs too, are dumped to seek new homes for themselves. Lucky ones find a kindhearted family who will feed them, but often they have no shelter. Others form packs that raid chicken coops; even goats or sheep cannot defend themselves against a pack of hungry dogs who have been forced to live like their ancestors, the wolves.

The cats and dogs didn’t create this problem. Animals in the wild not only have their numbers reduced by natural predators, but their birth rates are determined by the supply of food available. Man created this problem, when he brought these animals into his home, and taught them to depend on him. Now these animals provide us with protection, companionship and love. In return, it has become our responsibility to protect, feed and shelter them, and much to our shame, we have failed to meet this responsibility.

Here are some of the ways that you can help your local animal shelter and your own animals.

1. Assistance is needed to trap feral cats and to transport them to spay/neuter facilities. Traps are available from your local shelter.
2. Foster homes are needed to care temporarily for puppies/kittens until they are 8 weeks old, when they can be spayed/neutered and adopted.
3. Support is needed for legislation to penalize those who knowingly add to the overpopulation problem by irresponsible breeding and/or abandonment of unwanted animals.
4. Protect your own animals. Even a dog who is never allowed out without a leash may go over the fence when frightened. Hundreds of pets are lost at rest areas while travelling. When these animals end up at an overcrowded shelter, wearing no ID, they are very likely to be put on the "short list". Don’t let this happen to your pets. Have them micro-chipped and be sure to keep the information updated if you or your alternate contact moves.
5. Finally, provide for your animals in your will or trust. If you have no one who will take them in the event of your incapacity, prearrange with a no kill shelter such as Helen Woodard in San Diego County or Best Friends in Utah for your animals to be housed with them for their remaining days, if they cannot find a perfect home for them.