An un-neutered female can be responsible for up to twenty thousand descendants in just five years.  Cats do not reproduce because they want to. They do it because, like all other animals, they see it as their duty to reproduce and keep the species going.

Un-neutered cats are a danger to themselves as well as to other cats around them.  They will wander for miles looking for a mate, and along the way will get into fights because they have strayed into another cat’s territory.  These fights can often result in infected wounds, which cause the cat great pain and suffering, and even death.  Also by fighting there is a greater risk of cats becoming infected with diseases (such as FiV) through being bitten or having direct contact with an infected cat.

During an un-neutered cat’s travels it will dice with death every time it crosses an unfamiliar road.  Entire males also spray extremely strong smelling urine to mark their territory.  This leads to other entire toms doing the same to reclaim their territory.  This in turn leads to more fighting, and involves an awful lot of noise, which is unpleasant for people living nearby.

Another common belief that many people hold is that by neutering a cat it will take away the hunting instinct, and will therefore not help in keeping the rodent population down.  This is also untrue.  Some cats have a natural instinct to hunt, especially those who have never had a proper home where they have been fed regularly, and neutering will in no way stop this instinct.

Some of the work I do as Neutering Officer includes advising members of the public on the advantages of neutering and assisting, with financial help from branch funds, for people who cannot afford the full cost of the operation.  For example, those who are claiming benefits, students, or people on low incomes for other reasons.

I also work alongside our Feral Officers and arrange for the cost of neutering feral colonies to be met by the branch.  Occasionally I go on trapping and neutering missions of feral cats in my local area with the help of my husband Graham.  He is my driver and trap carrier, and is never surprised when I mention that there is another mission waiting to be accomplished; whether it is trapping more feral cats, talking to the public or any of the other various tasks that crop up.

This rewarding work gives me a great sense of satisfaction, knowing I have helped brighten the day for both people and cats.  This branch isn’t just about caring for cats; caring about and talking to cat owners is very important too.

Often people ask me if I’m paid for the work I do, and most are surprised when I say not one person in our branch is paid – we are all volunteers.     Some of them understand that we are happy to work for free, and that we all work hard.  We often deal with stressful and upsetting situations, and sometimes we ourselves wonder why on earth we put ourselves through the heartache we occasionally suffer.  In spite of this, we are all devoted to helping cats and their owners to have happy and contented lives.  We are all passionate about the welfare of our feline friends.

By Lorraine.