On Sept. 4, 2012, the Houlton Humane Society received word that it had received a $5,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation through the Belvedere Animal Welfare Fund for a low income spay/neuter project to help low income and elderly spay and neuter their cats.
Since September, we have spayed and neutered and approved applications for 50 cats to be altered, effectively reducing any possible future population explosion from these 50.
There is a lot of debate on how many offspring one female cat can generate in seven years. Some numbers are as high as 400,000 (no, she doesn’t have 400,000 kittens but she might have six and each of those six have six, etc). And some are as low as 400 cats, assuming one cat gives birth to six kittens and only 50 percent are female and only 25 percent survive to reproductive age and all surviving females become adults and reproduce with the same birth and kitten mortality rates.
If we assume the lowest possible number (25 percent survival rate is very low and uncommon but we’ll go with that number), times the 50 cats that we’ve altered, and we have effectively prevented the birth of 20,000 unwanted kittens in the greater Houlton area over the next six years.
I think these statistics are low because while one female feline is carrying her litter of six kittens, the male of her species is out romancing any number of prospects. He could impregnate dozens if he’s a free roaming outdoor kitty and his girlfriends are too. But I’ll be happy enough with the 20,000 as a number for now.
The good news is this – we still have money available! There is close to $1,000 left to help you with your feline. This is not a loan, it is a gift from us to you to help you with your veterinary costs. We will pay up to $50 to neuter a male cat and $75 to spay a female. This might not cover 100 percent of the cost, but it sure helps a lot and if you have multiple cats you are eligible for multiple certificates.
In order to qualify you just need to be low income (there are very few who do not qualify under this program) or “elderly” and there is no definition of elderly so if you are 50 years old and need financial assistance to spay and neuter your cat, chances are you will be approved.
If we successfully finish out this program we will be eligible for additional grants. We’ve had many requests to help with the cost of the spay/neuter surgery for dogs so maybe our next application will not be species specific – this one is just for cats because there is a bigger population problem with cats in this area – but if we have a need to help with dogs, we’ll jump into that next. First, we have to finish this program.
If you have a cat that is still capable of reproduction, please call the shelter at 532-2862 and request an application. It is a simple one-page form, we have yet to decline an applicant. We then issue a certificate, which you take to your vet and they mail us the proof that the surgery has been performed and we mail them a check. It’s an extremely easy program. We can’t pay for any wellness checks or shots that your kitty might need, just the surgery.
If you see any signs that say “kittens, free to a good home” you might want to call the owner of the momma and suggest they contact us – we can help them fix momma so this is their last litter. There are literally hundreds of homeless cats already in this area. For every litter that is “free to a good home,” there are more waiting for adoption at shelters all over the state.
For those who have already applied and been accepted, thank you so much for your participation and your dedication to not only your own pet, but all of those critters who depend on you to look out for them.
Speaking of critters (oh, wait, that’s all I talk about) – just an update on Nanook, the rescue puppy. He is doing very well, recovering nicely, and home from the hospital. He is still on a special diet and needs to put on some weight, and he may need future surgeries and possibly medication. Only time will tell, but right now he is starting to feel better, acting like a puppy, starting to play and chew and interact with his adult human companions as well as his pack family that he’s being fostered with. He has a tremendous will to live and it just brings a smile to watch him play after all he has been through. Thank you all for your financial assistance, and your heartfelt prayers. Check us out on Facebook for daily updates and occasional photos.
Have a great week!
