Feline relinquishment: how can the veterinary profession help reduce this?

摘要

Cats may not be as popular a choice for pets in Ireland as dogs are, However, rehoming centres are consistently full to bursting. The veterinary profession can help reduce the rate of feline relinquishment through education and early intervention before the pet-human bond is broken. There are a number of common causes of feline relinquishment, with overpopulation being a significant problem. Other reported reasons for relinquishment include behavioural issues (for example inappropriate elimination and aggression), owner expectations, and changes in owner circumstances, old ageand illness, This article discusses reasons for overpopulation and how veterinarians can help reduce this. Recent years have brought record numbers for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) in terms of inspectors dealing withindiscriminate breeding of cats. There is a relative lack of research on neutering owned or feral cats in Ireland, but it is generally considered low and overpopulation is a recognised problem. Most feline pregnancies are regarded as unplanned. The ISPCA launched the SpayAware campaign with the support of Veterinary Ireland in 2002 (http://www.spayaware.ie/index.php).