Task force addresses pet overpopulation

Pull back the sliding glass door at the Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force clinic and a chorus of meows drowns out the bustling activity of volunteers working through the day’s 38 scheduled surgeries.

Kitten season is in full swing as spring settles into the Flathead.

At the end of the two-day cat clinic on April 5 and 6, the center had snipped about 80 cats. An estimated 3,000 will pass through the doors of the task force clinic this year.

According to task force Director Mimi Beadles, the goal of the organization is to work together with the community and local shelters to end pet overpopulation.

Since its start in 1998 as the first and only nonprofit spay/neuter clinic in Montana, it has served more than 40,000 animals. The organization’s efforts have helped bring a 60 percent euthanasia rate for stray cats down to around 2 percent.

“You don’t see the dead cats along the highway anymore like you used to,” Beadles said.

However, the long-term effects of pet overpopulation remain.

Cats go into heat as often as six months out of the year compared to a decade ago when that was only about three to four months. Females can get pregnant at as young as four months old and can get pregnant again just two weeks after giving birth.

According to Beadles, one unspayed cat can have four kittens per litter. Then, each of those kittens can have up to three litters of four of their own per year.

At this rate, one unaltered cat has the potential to lead to nearly 50 cats per year.

“People really tend to underestimate how old their cats are and whether they can really get pregnant at just four months,” Beadles said. “With cats, you can’t wait.”

Not only do unspayed and unneutered pets add to the problem of overpopulation, they can also cause problems for their owners and their communities, according to Beadles.

Intact male dogs and cats tend to wander far and wide in search of mates, and a female in heat can attract a male from up to two miles away. This leads to male dogs and cats to wander into roadways and risk getting hit, or enter private property and risk being trapped or shot.

An abundance of stray, unvaccinated animals can also present a challenge for disease control.

A feral cat that contracts feline leukemia or AIDS can spread the disease quickly, potentially infecting any domestic cat within that same two-mile radius.

As a nonprofit rescue organization, much like the Spay and Neuter Task Force, Kitty Moms Rescue takes in around 300 stray/unwanted cats a year. They partner with the task force to spay/neuter around 75 percent of those.

Spending around $26,000 a year on surgeries, vaccines, microchips and vet care for both the cats they take in and pets belonging to other people, director Darcy Albert said Kitty Moms is pretty much overwhelmed for six months a year.

They are not alone. According to the Humane Society of the U.S., there are approximately 3,500 shelters and about 10,000 rescue groups and sanctuaries serving between 6 million and 8 million dogs and cats per year. Around 3 million of those animals are euthanized annually.

The estimated national annual spending by humane organizations is estimated at about $2.5 billion. Animal control organizations spend between $800 million and $1 billion nationally each year.

Albert said “spaying and neutering is the answer.”

Some people worry that altering their pets, especially males, will change their personalities or alter their protective nature.

Beadles said this is usually not the case. In most cases, snipping an animal can decrease aggression and the desire to roam.

“If they’re two miles away from home, it doesn’t really matter how protective they are,” Beadles said.

The Spay and Neuter Task Force charges $25 for cats and $45 for dogs, with exceptions for mothers with complete litters less than 10 weeks old.

“There’s only so many homes, and way too many animals,” Beadles said. She encourages those who are considering adding a furry companion to their family to adopt one that has already been spayed/neutered to avoid further adding to the overpopulation problem.

Twice a year, in June and January, the task force works with local veterinarians to do free vaccinations and micro chipping for pets, and they also will be having a discounted service day for spays and neuters on April 30.

Beadles said it is best to spay or neuter cats as early as possible. The task force offers early age surgeries for kittens as young as four months, but operates by appointment only.

Another problem contributing to overpopulation is options for stray and unwanted cats and dogs.

According to Albert, a new drop-off fee local shelters have implemented has made some people unwilling to take stray or unwanted animals to the shelter, leading to an increased intake at facilities like Kitty Moms and the Spay and Neuter Task Force.

Despite it being illegal and carrying a fine, the number of animals abandoned each year is on the rise.

Beadles said one danger with unwanted animals is people advertising and giving them away for free. According to Beadles, people looking for animals to serve as bait for fighting dogs, to sell for medical and other experiments or for other purposes tend to gravitate toward these ads. Such people will not pay for an animal when there are so many ads for free ones, so Beadles suggests asking for a small adoption fee when finding homes for unwanted pets.

To make a spay/neuter appointment at the Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force, call 406-881-4500.

Donations are taken at www.marvinsfundofmontana.org/makeanappointment.html.

To report animal abuse/neglect please contact the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office at 406-758-5585, and ask to speak with an Animal Control Officer.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.