Neutering service marks 16,000th cat to be treated

The RSPCA’s mobile neutering bus has treated its 16,000th cat.

The bus has been on the road since 2001 and was the first ever mobile cat neutering clinic.

The neutering bus has treated cats across Kent, Essex, Sussex and Surrey.

Last Wednesday, Frazer from the RSPCA Ashford cattery in Station Road became the 16,000th cat to be neutered at the clinic.

Frazer is four months old and came into the animal charity’s care as part of a multi-cat household.

He is now looking for a new home and although he is slightly nervous he is a very loving cat and would make a fantastic pet.

Nicky Honey, who has been the neutering clinic’s co-ordinator since the start, said: “We believe neutering cats is the answer to the overpopulation cat crisis in this country.

“You could keep building animal centres and keep filling them but that isn’t a long term solution.

“Sadly there are so many unwanted cats, like Frazer, in our centres so we would encourage every loving owner to neuter their cat from four months of age.

“We are proud of all we have achieved with the mobile cat neutering bus, we’ve helped improve so many cats lives as many have come in to be neutered and our vet has been able to treat them for other undiagnosed conditions.

“We’ve also been able to help people on low incomes to have their cats neutered.”

Nicky has worked tirelessly, driving the clinic and co-ordinating up to 16 cat neuterings a day for the last 15 years. Alongside vet Alan Smith, and with the support of RSPCA branches and charities, the aim is to try to keep the cat population in the South East at a manageable level.

She added: “We are seeing younger and younger mums and cats can become pregnant at around five months.

“They can also get pregnant within three weeks of giving birth. It makes sense therefore to neuter early to prevent this first litter. Neutering also helps prevent the spread of sexually transmitted illnesses.”

The RSPCA took in 38,000 cats in 2015, and neutered 81,781 animals (48,464 of them cats) in the same year.

To help the RSPCA’s vital work text HELP to 78866 to give £3 (Texts cost £3 + one standard network rate message).

If you would like to rehome Frazer please call 01233 646855.

Nicky Honey from the RSPCA Ashford cattery with Frazer the 16,000th cat to be neutered by the animal charity’s neutering bus