A Challenge for All Cat Lovers World Wide

by Mary F
(North Carolina, USA)

As a regular visitor of this site, I would like to thank each and everyone who visits here and posts their stories about their personal cats as well as all the heart warming rescue stories.

Kate does a wonderful job maintaining the site so that all of us Cat Lovers will have a great common place to come and share our thoughts and stories. I look forward to the time I can come here daily to read all the great submissions.

I have made some awesome friends here and I am so grateful to have a place that I can spend hours of reading for a wonderful common cause
(OUR FELINE COMPANIONS).

I want to personally thank everyone who has read my submissions this month on "The Importance Of Spaying and Neutering of Cats".
It is the responsibility of Cat lovers everywhere to do their part in solving the overwhelming problem of Cat Overpopulation by the simple act of Spay and Neuter of your personal cats as well as TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) of feral's.

I have worked in Cat rescue here in the United States for a number of years and see the devastation that is caused by Cats that are not "fixed". It is sad and heartbreaking that so many cats die as a result of someone not taking these very important steps to reduce the chances of cats breeding in large numbers.

I will tell you of a sad situation right here in my area.
I live in a very wooded area out in the country in North Carolina in the USA.
A lot of folks DROP litters of poor helpless kittens back here weekly to (get rid of them). Shameful but true.

There is a goat farmer across the way from me who has about 10 acres of land and it seems the cats find their way to his property because he puts out feeding stations to feed the strays.
(Im thankful the poor cats have food available to them but there is a problem with his manner of thinking).

It is ok and wonderful to want to feed strays who otherwise would die of starvation but feeding them is only a small step in giving them the proper care they need.
These strays need to be "FIXED" or it turns into a population explosion that rapidly gets out of hand.

When I moved here in November of 2008 I went over to his farm to introduce myself. I came away appalled and in tears.
I found his property COVERED with about 250 stray (un-fixed and VERY un-healthy cats).
Sorry for the mental picture but I found many to be missing eyes, broken legs that they was dragging behind them and bloody wounds that was filled with maggots.

I told him that there are groups willing to come to his property to trap many of these cats on a weekly basis and Spay and Neuter them FREE and vaccinate them and return the healthy ones so they do not reproduce and humanely euthanize the ones suffering who are too sick to be helped.
This man refused my help, telling me he feeds them and it is his business what he does on his property and then he ordered me off his property.

For the sake of the sickly ones who was suffering , I called Animal Control who refused to help as they said" sounds like too many to fool with". (Isn't this their job)???????
I called some of the feral groups who came and offered him their assistance but was also abruptly asked to leave his property.
Unfortunately, the law say's we cant force him to allow us to fix the strays that he feeds.
Note: In the USA most state laws says "If you feed an animal for 10 days or longer then they are legally YOURS!

Well of course this is kitten season here in the state of North Carolina and guess what has happened? You guess it!
Everyday there are MANY kittens who have been born on his land this Spring, coming over to my property exploring.
Most are very sickly and I have buried many who died on my property before I could get to them and help.

My guess is that there are now about 400 or more UN-FIXED cats over there which will double in numbers during the next year.
There are resources out here to help in these situations but if we don't allow them to help then we are part of the problem.

Those of you who spay and neuter your cats and get help for the strays and feral s are angels in disguise for the animals.
God Bless you all in the name of the animals you have helped.

Therefore I have a challenge for ALL the CAT LOVERS who visit this site.

The more we educate and spread the word about Spaying and Neutering of cats the more we aid in reducing the problem slowly but surely.
There are MANY things you can do to spread the word.

1.Set your email settings to have a signature at the bottom of every email you send out saying
"Dont forget to Spay and Neuter Your Pets"

2.Create flyers on your computer and print out copy's and post them on free post boards in your local grocery stores, Library, Laundry mats, Workplace cafeterias or ANYWHERE that allows posting free.

3.Place ads in FREE newspapers in your area saying:
Please Spay and Neuter Your Pets.

4. Anytime your friends or acquaintances mention their pets or the desire to get a pet mention the importance of Spaying and Neutering pets.

The challenge is to TALK....TALK......TALK about Spay and Neuter to spread the word.

This will in time make a world of difference in the overpopulation problem that is world wide.
I have 20 cats that I have rescued and adopted and the FIRST thing I did for each one is have it Vet checked and Spayed and Neutered. It is an ultimate gift of love.

Thanks for reading and hug your animals today.
They are your true and faithful friends.
They will live longer, healthier lives if they are Spayed and Neutered

As my kittys say

Mary in North Carolina, USA

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