Sir, - Dublin is experiencing an explosion in the population of cats. Most of these are feral (wild), but many cats have irresponsible owners who allow them to breed indiscriminately, thus adding to the problem. Cat Protection SPCA is calling on the public to become aware of the problem and to control the situation by spaying or neutering cats to prevent breeding.
The breeding season for cats is during the summer months when thousands of kittens are born. Many are adopted but are subsequently abandoned when they go into season or become pregnant. Cats and kittens are left to fend for themselves and become part of the feral population. There are frequent outbreaks of disease among wild cat colonies and sadly, in some cases, wild cats are victims of abuse.
With very limited resources, the Cat Protection SPCA endeavours to control the wild cat problem in Dublin city and county. Wild cats are spayed or neutered and returned to their territories where they prevent rodents. The society received approximately £6,000 in funding from Dublin Corporation, which is barely enough to even begin to address the problem.
A registered charity, we depend on contributions from members of the public and funding is urgently needed if our vital work for the protection of cats is to continue. During 1998 we rehomed 900 tame cats and kittens and removed over 5,000 feral cats from the streets of Dublin. Cats are wonderful companions and well-suited to urban living, provided they are vaccinated against disease and spayed or neutered to prevent unnecessary breeding.
We add the seasonal warning: a pet is for life. - Yours, etc.,
Therese Cunningham, Cats Protection SPCA, Ballymote, Co Sligo.