Covid, A Cyclone and Clowders of Kittens!

‘Kitten season’ is well underway with the longer days and warmer temperatures triggering the change in hormones enabling female cats to start breeding. Queens (female cats) can become pregnant from as early as 4 months of age if left unneutered and with the breeding season in play from September through to late summer, and the gestation period for cats (from conception to giving birth) being around two months (63-65 days), there’s the possibility of a Queen having up to three litters in one breeding season! With the average litter size of 4 kittens, this means that if unmanaged, a Queen could give birth to around 12 kittens each year and keep breeding for more than 12 years, So each unneutered cat’s breeding potential is a minimum of 144 cats (and probably more). If we multiply this by the number of unneutered or unowned cats in NZ – you can see that we have a big problem!

COVID is still playing a part in our cat over-population. This year’s increased kitten population is already causing problems for animal shelters up and down the country, who are finding it hard to cope with the influx, and we aren’t even half way through the season. Following the COVID lockdowns, there was a reported increase in the number of dogs and cats adopted during the pandemic. Auckland Council reported a 5.5% increase in dog ownership following COVID and at the same time the SPCA and other animal shelters in NZ experienced a high demand for new pets. Set this along side the reported reduction in visits to veterinarians during the same period, and the reported reduction in spey-neuter surgeries over the COVID period- its not surprising that there are likely to be more cats about – and many of them still breeding.

Cyclone Gabrielle will also have played a role in the cat population numbers. Sadly, although some cats will have lost their lives, there will have been many that would have been displaced from their homes and forced to survive on their own. If not previously neutered, females are likely to be not only fending for themselves but also breeding new generations of cats. In the aftermath of the Cyclone, a number of regional veterinary practices needed to prioritise their resources and veterinary time for emergency activities, and as such there was a reduction in routine operations such as for example, the desexing of animals. In addition, the financial, social and health challenges for many people impacted by the cyclone will have led to changes in decision making regarding their animals, including whether they can afford to prioritise their cat’s breeding potential.

Clowder is the word that describes a group of cats. Other names include; Clutter, Cluster or even, Destruction! The problem is that the Clowder of cats caused by unmanaged breeding is getting bigger each year, despite clear and consistent messaging from all animal welfare groups and veterinarians regarding the importance of desexing cats. There are multiple reasons for promoting desexing. For a start, giving birth to multiple litters of kittens is not surprisingly, a health and welfare issue for Queens. Every pregnancy is a health and welfare risk for a cat – especially if she is free -roaming. During the average 7-day period when she is in heat, she may encounter multiple Tom cats, with a risk of injury due to competition for access to her. It’s also possible for her to become impregnated by multiple males, giving birth to kittens with different fathers all in one litter, and these multiple matings involving different males may lead to increased risk of infection. In addition, contrary to popular belief, there are no health or welfare benefits in allowing a cat to have a litter of kittens before she is neutered, and in fact this first pregnancy poses a risk to the young cat. Yet sadly despite clear veterinary advice regarding early desexing, young females are often left unneutered, often putting them at risk. In addition, where cats do have a litter, there is a lack of appreciation that the queen can get pregnant again, as early as one to two weeks after giving birth.

The key take home message is, that although cats are amazing animals, they are also prolific breeders. Clowders of cats are simply not sustainable. Unmanaged breeding causes our animal shelters to be over run, increases feral cat population numbers with associated social concerns regarding native wildlife, pose a health risk for owned and managed cats, and can be a health risk to people. It’s clear that cats and their offspring need to be expeditiously neutered, to prevent the cat population in NZ from getting out of control. When you consider that one female cat can be responsible for a staggering 20,000 descendants in just five years, its clear that as responsible animal guardians we need to make good choices for our companion animals, including desexing to ensure that their breeding potential is properly managed.