Cats don’t have 9 lives (for 3 he plays, for 3 he strays and for 3 he stays)

Contrary to the quote, “Cats have nine lives”, the fate of a stray cat abandoned in Ladysmith is not one that any cat or animal lover would want to hear.

Between 2015 and 2017, 84% of all cats that were brought to the Animal Anti-Cruelty League (AACL) in Ladysmith had to be euthanised (put down), as no adoption homes or means of support could be provided.

That is a staggering 464 animals, which cost the league close to R160,000 in vet and burial fees.

Less than 8% of the cats received by the AACL could be re-homed.

Cats are prolific breeders and many people who delay having their feline companions spayed are surprised to discover that their kitten has become a mother herself.

Female cats can go into heat every two to three weeks and become pregnant as young as 4 months – which is why early spaying is a must. Cats can even become pregnant again while they’re nursing kittens, enabling a single cat to give birth to multiple litters over the course of just one season.

During the span of seven years, one un-spayed female cat and her offspring can give birth to a staggering 370,000 kittens.

Every week, AACL members have the heart-crushing task of sending cats and kittens, whose lives have just begun, to be euthanised because cats are abundant and adopters are few.

So if you hear your neighbour’s cat howling at night in search of a mate, get permission to have him or her sterilised and encourage your neighbour to keep their cat indoors.

If there’s a stray hanging around your backdoor, take him/her to a shelter right away.

And for the love of kittens, if you’ve been meaning to make an appointment to have your own feline friend spayed or neutered but just haven’t gotten around to it, don’t delay – get that cat fixed today!

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