They may be really cute but there's way too many of them.
Kitten season has started and the Delta Community Animal Shelter is being inundated with little felines as it is every spring.
Noting 15 kittens have already been brought to the shelter, manager Sarah Jones said "intact cats" breed in spring and summer, so one female cat could reproduce both seasons, adding to the overpopulation problem. That's why it's important, she said, to spay or neuter your pet, even if it's supposedly only a house cat that's not normally allowed to roam outdoors.
"Most people don't intend to breed their cats, but they don't have their cats spayed or neutered. Because cats can be so persistent when they're in heat, we want people to realize if your animal is over six months of age and not spayed or neutered, they're reproducing," she said.
Jones said a story often heard is that a cat had escaped only one time, but that's all it takes.
"We want to remind people to please spay and neuter because if they do not, they do require a breeding permit, that's according to the bylaw," she said.
Jones said spaying and neutering also reduces the risk of fights and disease.
She said the shelter would like residents to call if they see feral cats in their neighbourhood. The shelter's Trap, Sterilize and Release program will humanely trap the cats, spay or neuter, tag, vaccinate and then make them available for adoption. Adult cats that are not tame are released back into the area they were living or placed in barns as mousers
