Why Desex?
Furry Friends Animal Rescue firmly advocates for the desexing of domestic pets. Along with microchipping, it is the single most humane thing we can do for the cat population in Australia.
Overbreeding
Many Australians are unaware of the huge impact non-desexed animals have on our society. Unchecked breeding of domestic pets results in an unmanageable oversupply for our community. These animals are the undesirables. They face a dismal future.
A female cat, for instance, can produce around 200 kittens in her lifetime. By the time each female kitten is 4 months old, it too can start to reproduce. Can you see how quickly one cat can cause an explosion in cat numbers?
Many of these animals are not a desirable colour or breed. They will never find homes. Through no fault of their own, these pets stare down the barrel of a gun. They will be put to sleep. One simple operation can save a miserable existence for so many.
A female cat, for instance, can produce around 200 kittens in her lifetime. By the time each female kitten is 4 months old, it too can start to reproduce. Can you see how quickly one cat can cause an explosion in cat numbers?
Many of these animals are not a desirable colour or breed. They will never find homes. Through no fault of their own, these pets stare down the barrel of a gun. They will be put to sleep. One simple operation can save a miserable existence for so many.
Overflowing Shelters
Stray pets are those that have been lost or abandoned who cannot find domestic homes. Shelters across Australia are full to overflowing with strays. Many Councils are struggling to cope with an ever increasing problem. Many of them only need to wait a mandatory few days for reclaim before they euthanise.
The Feral Problem
A stray domestic cat can breed in the wild, generating feral offspring. Feral cats are the same species as our domestic felines. Their only difference is a lack of human interaction.
In 2015, feral cats were declared a pest. There are an estimated 2-6 million feral cats and the Australian government is having to implement eradication schemes in order to address the problem. They are the number one extinction threat to many of our precious native species. They spread diseases such as toxoplasmosis and sarcosporidiosis and are a danger to people who come into contact with them. They impact on farms, wildlife and the environment.
"The loss inflicted by feral and domestic cats, based on bird predation alone, has been estimated at $144 million annually." [https://www.petsmart.org.au/feral-cat/]
It's easy for us cat lovers to be sentimental about the cute fluff balls that tiptoe around our homes...but these stray and feral cats survive at the expense of the fauna that has a right to live on this continent. It's controversial...but introduced species need to be closely guarded in any environment.
In 2015, feral cats were declared a pest. There are an estimated 2-6 million feral cats and the Australian government is having to implement eradication schemes in order to address the problem. They are the number one extinction threat to many of our precious native species. They spread diseases such as toxoplasmosis and sarcosporidiosis and are a danger to people who come into contact with them. They impact on farms, wildlife and the environment.
"The loss inflicted by feral and domestic cats, based on bird predation alone, has been estimated at $144 million annually." [https://www.petsmart.org.au/feral-cat/]
It's easy for us cat lovers to be sentimental about the cute fluff balls that tiptoe around our homes...but these stray and feral cats survive at the expense of the fauna that has a right to live on this continent. It's controversial...but introduced species need to be closely guarded in any environment.
Act Responsibly
Furry Friends Furry Friends Animal Rescue believes in being fair. It’s easy to blame the organisations dealing with the end consequences of the problem. They are trying to handle an impossible and horrible situation. It’s the START of the problem that needs to be addressed. It is the human civilian population who are at fault for overbreeding and not being responsible pet owners. Why? Lack of care perhaps? Lack of education? A way to make a quick dollar?
In 2010 Sydney Morning Herald reported (https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/truth-about-cats-and-dogs-250000-killed-every-year-20100605-xlr4.html) “MORE than a quarter of a million healthy cats and dogs are destroyed in Australia every year because there are not enough homes for them.”
In RSPCA’s latest statistics (2017-18 Financial Year) (https://www.rspca.org.au/sites/default/files/RSPCA%20Australia%20Annual%20Statistics%202017-2018.pdf), over 12,000 cats were euthanised.
In 2010 Sydney Morning Herald reported (https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/truth-about-cats-and-dogs-250000-killed-every-year-20100605-xlr4.html) “MORE than a quarter of a million healthy cats and dogs are destroyed in Australia every year because there are not enough homes for them.”
In RSPCA’s latest statistics (2017-18 Financial Year) (https://www.rspca.org.au/sites/default/files/RSPCA%20Australia%20Annual%20Statistics%202017-2018.pdf), over 12,000 cats were euthanised.
Our Community Pays
The cost of catching, containing and then euthanising all those animals is huge. All the tax payer money that goes into dealing with the population of unwanted animals in Australia would surely be better placed in schools or roads or hospital care or elderly support. All it takes is more responsible pet ownership. Simple.
