Pittsburgh, PA – January 22, 2013 – Warmer weather may still be months away, but Animal Friends wants you to “beat the heat” by spaying your cat in advance of her heat cycle and preventing unwanted litters from being born this Spring.
Animal shelters commonly refer to spring time as “kitten season” because that is when they receive the largest influx numbers of unwanted litters that are difficult to adopt.
To help reduce the number of homeless cats born this spring, Animal Friends is offering a special “Beat the Heat” promotion sponsored by PetSmart Charities®. During the entire month of February, Animal Friends will spay female cats for a special rate of $20.
Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population. While some worry that their pet may be too young for this procedure, spaying and neutering is safe for kittens as young as eight to 10 weeks old, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Spaying a female cat before the first heat cycle is actually beneficial, rather than waiting until after one heat cycle has occurred. The procedure is known to improve the health of the pet, including a reduced risk of certain reproductive cancers and infections.
“Female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months old,” says Carol Whaley, Animal Friends’ Lost-Cost Spay/Neuter Coordinator. “Most people don’t want to see their cat get pregnant over and over again, so hopefully our “Beat the Heat” campaign will serve as a gentle reminder to cat owners to sterilize their cats before they go into heat and become pregnant this year.”
This special rate is even less than the organization’s normal low-cost price and is available to all residents of Allegheny County. Cat parents who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Beat the Heat” promotion when they schedule their appointment.
Thanks to the PetSmart Charities grant, Animal Friends will provide cat sterilizations for $20 during February. Please visit www.ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org or call 412.847.7004 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
About Animal Friends
Animal Friends is a non-profit companion animal resource center serving the needs of pets and people since 1943. Our progressive programs have been nationally recognized and include humane rescue, shelter and adoption services for over 2,400 pets annually, humane education, pet behavior classes, pet-assisted therapy, wellness programs and more. In addition, Animal Friends is leading the way towards ending pet overpopulation in western Pennsylvania through comprehensive, community-wide spay/neuter programming. Animal Friends is supported by donors, 700 volunteers and a staff dedicated to ensuring the well being of companion animals, while ending overpopulation, abuse and unwarranted euthanasia. For more information, visit http://www.ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org/
About PetSmart CharitiesEstablished in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest funder of animal-welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities has provided more than $165 million in grants and programs benefiting animal-welfare organizations and has helped save the lives of more than 5 million pets through its in-store adoption program. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS (7387).