Presented by Lincoln County Humane Society
Every day, we answer the phone at the Lincoln County Humane Society and tell the caller, “I am so sorry, we cannot take cats and kittens from other counties or from owner surrenders at this time. We are overflowing with cats and kittens here.”
Pet overpopulation has one of the easiest and cheapest solutions. Spaying and neutering is more accessible and affordable than ever. And it is the only way to save lives. So why don’t more people spay and neuter?
Cost is a factor and it can be a daunting concern. But there are several low-cost spay and neuter clinics in Wisconsin. There is even one in our area! “The Fix Is In” visits the Lincoln County Humane Society one day per month to offer low-cost surgeries. You do not need to be a resident of Lincoln County to utilize these services! We do recommend calling The Fix Is In to make an appointment as soon as possible – their clinics fill up quickly (LCHS cannot schedule surgeries or provide schedule information). The surgeries are performed by licensed veterinarians and certified veterinary staff. The prices for a cat spay/neuter range from $40-$50 and includes the rabies vaccine! This is a wonderful option for individuals that may not otherwise afford the cost of a spay/neuter surgery. Even putting $5 or $10 a week away will enable you to afford to spay or neuter your cat in just a few months.
Many people contact the humane society after failing to find new homes for kittens through free ads listed in the paper or on craigslist. Even if you find homes for every kitten your cat has, there are still healthy cats and kittens dying in shelters every day and only due to lack of space. If we work together, there won’t need to be animals euthanized for lack of space or waiting lists for people to bring their felines to a shelter. The ASPCA estimates 860,000 cats are euthanized each year in the United States – more than 2,000 every single day (see the link below for the source of these statistics).
It is important we all take responsibility to overcome this issue! Even if your own cats are spayed and neutered, be an advocate for animals by promoting spaying and neutering. Encourage others to get their cats “fixed” before more animals die. If you know someone that has an unaltered cat, consider assisting with the cost of the surgery. One of the LCHS board members once paid for her adult son’s cat to be spayed for Christmas!
LCHS is encouraging the “If you feed it, fix it” mentality. We completely understand the desire to provide food for the stray cats near your home. But with the offer of food, you are also inviting those outdoor kitties to establish their home near the food source you provide. If you take the time and money to feed the outdoor cats, please spay or neuter the outdoor cats. LCHS also rents live-traps for $40 to assist with trapping outdoor cats in Lincoln County. We recommend contacting the shelter in advance to discuss options with outdoor cats.
The Lincoln County Humane Society has always promoted spaying and neutering your pets. As almost 100 cats and kittens call the shelter their temporary home, as our surrender waiting grows daily, and as every other shelter in the area faces the same struggles, we are begging, pleading, and hoping this message will be enough to convince the people in our community to do the right thing and spay or neuter your cats.