The mathematics of pet procreation are staggering. A fertile cat, for example, can produce up to three litters of kittens per year, at four to eight kittens per litter. A dog, not far behind, is capable of giving birth to two litters per year, at six to 10 puppies per litter.
“Just imagine, if the population was not controlled in some way,” says Dana Lerma, director of development of Kitsap Humane Society. “It’s frightening.”
And so given the very real notion our streets could become overrun with feral cats, as this Fox News story warns, we should all be grateful for the efforts of the yearly county “Spay Day,” which helped nip the sexual promiscuity of 574 cats and dogs in the area Feb. 24.
There are parts of the U.S. that don’t have programs that provide free or low cost spaying and neutering, Lerma said, recalling an experience recently in another state in which she watched a “mama dog,” badly malnourished — yet pregnant — with a litter of equally malnourished puppies following her. There are also parts of the world that don’t have amazing people like Linda Dennis, who goes out and catches feral cats so they can be fixed and then released back into the wild.
And then selfishly, there is our own conscience. Spaying and neutering means less roaming animals who might come out of nowhere, say, before your car as you drive. And there’s also that horrible feeling we get when we see a stray running about.
Such efforts by the community to spay and neuter animals means we have more cats and dogs the way we like them — as our fat and happy companions.
