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Addressing the Spay/Neuter issue By Miss Donna Rieder Last Friday afternoon, two dogs showed up at my place after the thunderstorm. Well fed, but no collars or ID. I spent 4 hours on Saturday literally going house to house from Hale's Highway to Powell Road, showing people their photos, in hopes of reuniting them with their owners, but nobody, including my mail lady, recognized them. God bless Jimmy Harmon, who came and picked them up and took them to the shelter. It's not the first time; Jimmy's been out to my farm dozens of times since I moved here, to pick up stray animals. On my way home from the Powell Road end of White Oak Church Road, I saw a young adult cat and a kitten cross the road just before I got to my house. I got some food, my trap and a cat carrier, and went back. There was a dead cat in the road, obviously hit by a car. I managed to catch the kitten, and left the trap there in hopes of catching the other cat. When I went back about ten minutes later, the original cat I saw was in the trap, and another one was sitting next to it, probably attracted by the scent of the canned cat food. I took the one cat back to my place, then took the trap back, and eventually trapped the second cat. I also saw another adult cat and two more kittens, which I also managed to trap and catch. The fear in their eyes was saddening. I couldn't just leave them there to starve, get run over, or be eaten alive by an owl or coyote. I just don't understand how people can be so heartless; they shouldn't own animals if they can't afford to get them spayed and neutered. The kittens were crawling with fleas, so they got bathed, and put in my utility room. They were starving and very thirsty. The adult cats also had fleas, so they each got a dose of Frontline, at $9.00 a pop. Thankfully, I used to raise and show Oriental Shorthair Cats, so I have a nice cattery to house them in temporarily. This morning, one of the kittens still had runny eyes, so I went to TSC and bought a tube of Terramycin antibiotic eye ointment for $20.00. On my way back home, there was another dead cat in the road, and two dead kittens. I live near the Sam Coffey Hole, which is a dumping ground for unwanted animals. I'm the first driveway they come to, so they always end up at my farm. I've also had people leave boxes of kittens at my gate. The shelter charges $10 each to take a cat. I've already trapped four tomcats just this year, and paid for the shelter to take them. I need help. I just can't keep on being financially responsible for other peoples' unwanted animals. A very sweet, young gray female cat showed up here about a month ago. In hopes of finding her a home, I had her tested for Feline Leukemia and FIP ($60). She tested negative, so she's scheduled to be spayed at Red Barn Vet Clinic this Tuesday morning. That's going to cost $94 including a Rabies shot. I'm afraid to just give these cats away unfixed, because people are so irresponsible and don't bother to get them fixed, and so the cycle continues. I worked as a Volunteer for the Marquette County (Michigan) Humane Society for 7 years, I have 4 years' experience as a Vet Tech, and I bred and showed Oriental Shorthair cats for 5 years before moving here in 2008, so I know the nature of cats. Cats are prolific breeders. Female cats can have three litters of kittens a year, averaging 4-8 kittens per litter. One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in 7 years. The cycle has got to stop, and the only answer is mandatory spay/neuter for all unregistered animals (cats AND dogs). Backyard breeders and puppy mills need to be shut down; only animals registered with a specific breed registry and a legal, paid kennel or cattery license should be exempt. Unspayed and unneutered animals are the norm in poor areas. The argument is always. "Well, I'll find them homes. Right. They give them away and the new owners can't afford to get them fixed. When they start having litter after litter, they become overwhelmed and end up dumping them off somewhere, to let someone else deal with them. It's cruel to the animals, and unfair to the people and businesses who get dumped on. People who breed and show animals make a lot of money doing so. I know from my own experience; my blue-eyed white kittens sold for $1200 each. Those people can afford to pay for a kennel or cattery license, and those fees could go into a fund to help implement a spay/neuter program. We need to look into getting grants, and also, need private funding from local companies, businesses, and individuals who are willing to step up to the plate and help address this issue. I don't like to have to ask for help, but I need help so I can get these cats to the shelter, or adopted, preferably. The kittens are adorable, of course; the adult females are a bit wary, but they are responding well to my kindness. I have 5 cats of my own, I don't want any more. If someone out there has a heart as big as mine, I implore you to help me. I'm sure this won't be the last of the cats that get dumped here, so if anyone has suggestions or ideas, I'll gladly welcome them. Sincerely, for the animals, Miss Donna Rieder This story was posted on 2021-07-28 14:27:40
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