E-Mail
IMAGE: Desexing cats before 4 months can close the pregnancy gap and reduce the number of unwanted kittens. view more
Credit: City University of Hong Kong
The global problem of unowned domestic cats, driven by the cats phenomenal reproductive success, carries significant economic, animal welfare and biodiversity costs. Big-data research led by an expert on veterinary medicine and infectious diseases at
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has found that although more than 80% of cats in Australia were desexed, only a fraction have had surgery before reaching puberty, thus creating a pregnancy gap . To close this gap and prevent unwanted litters, it is recommended that the age of desexing is before four months.