Did you know 1 un-spayed cat and her kittens can produce MORE than 400,000 cats in their lifetime? A female cat can get pregnant at just 4 months old and have 3 litters of kittens each year. An average litter size ranges from 4 to 6 kittens!
Why is this important to know, and why should you share this information?
More needs to be done to help the street cats of the UAE, starting with a nationwide effort and program to TNR (Trap Neuter Release) or TNRV (Trap Neuter Release Vaccinate). In a TNR program, community cats can be humanely trapped (with box traps), taken to a vet to be spayed or neutered, and vaccinated to help stop the spread of feline sickness. They can then be released and return to their outdoor home to carry on with their lives and not reproduce, bringing unnecessary suffering to more kittens and cats.
TNR is the most effective way (as endorsed by the WSPCA and ASPCA) to contain and control stray populations. Your community will be more peaceful as spayed and neutered cats tend to fight less to find a mate, and males will become less territorial, leading to less marking and smells.
In the UAE, you can normally identify a stray cat that has been TNR’d by looking at their ears. Most vets will eartip the cat to show they’ve been neutered or spayed. There’s amazing individual rescuers and community cat people in the UAE that help TNR cats, but the costs and responsibilities without funding and regular support can be overwhelming.
