Celebrate National Prevent a Litter Month in February
February is Prevent a Litter Month
Aren’t those kittens and puppies adorable? Just so precious.
It’s a shame thousands of them die every year. Not because they’re sick. Because there’s not enough people to adopt them and no room in the shelters for them.
But there’s a surprisingly simple solution. Spay/neuter your pets so they don’t have babies. That’s what National Prevent a Litter Month is all about.
Yes, those babies are hard to resist. But just one litter can turn into hundreds of thousands of animals in just a few years if all the babies then reproduce themselves.
The lucky ones get adopted shortly after birth. Or find their way to no-kill shelters and rescue organizations that give them a safe place to stay until they find their furever homes.
But most end up fighting for life on the streets, often unsuccessfully. Or someone scoops them up and brings them to the local shelter/animal control facility. Once there, they’re at high risk of being euthanized.
Most animals in those places end up with upper respiratory infections. That puts them on the short list for euthanasia. The babies are especially likely to get sick if they spend more than a couple days there. And they’re not strong enough to last long once they get sick.
Besides illness, shelters are short of space most of the year. Kitten season makes it even worse. So they euthanize for space.
National Prevent a Litter Month aims to spread awareness of these problems and encourage people to spay/neuter their pets. Also, trap/neuter/return (TNR) programs can help keep the feral (wild) population under control.
Is it February … or April?
We’ve seen references to April being Prevent a Litter Month, as well as February. The sponsors of the different months appear to be different too. As near as we can tell, the Humane Society of the United States designated April back in the 1980s. The North Shore Animal League in New York issued a press release in 2008 designating February as the month.
So which is it? As far as we’re concerned, there’s no time limit for spreading the word about the importance of spaying and neutering. But we’ve chosen February because it also contains Spay and Neuter Day.
Did You Know …
“Fixed” animals are healthier and can live longer than their “unfixed” cousins? Neutered males are less likely to mark their territory by spraying. And without testicles, they don’t get testicular cancer. Spayed females have less chance of getting ovarian or mammary tumors, among other diseases.
Letting just one female and her offspring (and their offspring) breed can add as many as 420,000 cats to the world in only 7 years. Now we love cats, but that’s just too many! Even worse, fewer than 50,000 of those cats is likely to find a home.
Kittens as young as six months old can have kittens of their own. And cats can go into heat while they’re still nursing their current kittens.
As you can see, the problem gets out of hand quickly!
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficial pet holiday.
How to Celebrate National Prevent a Litter Month
If you have an unfixed pet, get him or her fixed. Many clinics offer low-cost spaying/neutering in honor of this month. And many communities/rescue organizations offer low-cost clinics either year-round or regularly during the year.
The North Shore Animal League’s SpayUSA program can refer you to low cost programs nationwide.
Are you feeding/caring for stray or feral animals that visit your yard? Contact rescue organizations to find a TNR program in your area.
Do you have some extra space in your heart and home? Consider fostering rescue animals to help more of them make it out of shelters alive. No this doesn’t directly prevent litters. But it does help support the rescue community, and that helps support the overall goal of fewer homeless animals.
Besides, it’s incredibly rewarding to watch kittens and puppies grow. It’s also amazing to watch older animals change from fearful in a shelter environment to sweet & loving in a home.
[…] spaying and neutering pets can make them less likely to want to roam. In fact, February is also National Prevent a Litter Month. So if you haven’t gotten it done, this is a good […]
[…] observations don’t have to be confined to this one day. February is also National Prevent a Litter Month (which spaying and neutering will do!). So veterinarians, shelters and other animal oriented […]
[…] National Prevent a Litter Month: Make sure your pets are spayed and neutered. It’s the best way to tackle the pet overpopulation problem and keep pets out of shelters! […]
[…] National Prevent a Litter Month: Help spread the word about the importance of spaying and neutering all pets. Fewer unwanted litters means fewer homeless pets and pets in shelters! […]
[…] National Prevent a Litter Month: Baby animals are incredibly adorable. But sadly shelters regularly overflow with this kind of adorableness. And as much as people love to adopt kittens & puppies, it’s hard to find homes for them all. Don’t add to the problem. Get your pets spayed & neutered. Many rescues/shelters/vets offer low-cost spay & neuter services all February to celebrate this month. […]