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www.rspca.org.ukin-actionwhatwedovetcareSciencegroupreviewof20129QualityorquantityIthasbeenestimatedthatover90percent1ofcatswillbeneuteredduringtheirlifetimes.DespitesuchahighpercentageuptakeeachyearunwantedkittensandunplannedlittersplaceasignificantburdenonRSPCAhospitalsanimalcentresandbranches.Anun-neuteredfemalecatinamulti-cathouseholdorwithoutdooraccessislikelytoconceivesoonafterpubertywhichmayoccurfromfourmonthsofage.Unplannedpregnanciesmaybefoundinalmost30percentofelectivepubliccatneutersatRSPCAhospitalsduringthesummermonths.Awidespreadneuteringcampaignwillnotachievepopulationcontrolifthepatientshaveproducedoffspringpriortotheirsurgicalappointment.Successislikelytoinvolveneuteringpriortopubertyaswellasconvincingtheownersoftherefractory10percentofcatsabouttheimportanceofneuteringbeforeconception.Findingtheelusive10percentRatherthanfocusingonthetotalnumberofneutersthehospitalisusingtwomethodstoidentifythosecatsmostlikelytocontributetopetoverpopulation1.Analysisofpostcodedatarelatingtopregnantcatspaysbelongingtocharityhospitalclients.2.AnalysisofRSPCAtelephonecalldatarelatingtokittenproblemswithinthehospitalcatchmentarea.Subsequentlyclinicalauditcanbeusedtoanalysehospitalneuteringperformance.1.Whenthehospitalvetscarryoutoff-siteneuteringatRSPCAanimalestablishmentsitisvitalthatallanimalsareneuteredpriortoadoption.Thetargetis100percentsurgicalsterilizationpriortoadoption.2.Themeanageatneuterforpublicownedqueensshouldreduceasprepubertalneuteringisadopted.Ideallythemeanspayageshouldapproachorbelowerthanfourmonthsforfemalecats.3.Whenwelfarehotspotsarecorrectlyidentifiedhospitalstaffshouldbepreparedtodealwithahighpercentageofsurgicalterminationsofunplannedpregnancies.Eachpregnantcatspaysignificantlyeasesthelocalrehomingburden.NeuteringpriortopubertyIn2012theRSPCAGreaterManchesterAnimalHospitalpublishedapainstudy2whichsupportedtheideathatneuteringpriortopubertycouldbeaccomplishedinapainfreemannerinsmallanimalpractice.Furthermorehospitalstaffhavedeliveredtraininglecturestobothveterinarysurgeonandnursingaudiences.Prepubertalneuteringisgainingpopularityasaprocedureassociatedwithreducedmorbiditycomparedtoconventionalneutering.2.JFelineMedSurg.2012Aug148553-9Analgesiaafterovariohysterectomyundermidazolam-medetomidine-ketamineanaesthesiawithbuprenorphineorbutorphanolandcarprofenormeloxicamaprospectiverandomisedclinicaltrial.PolsonSTaylorPMYatesD.Neuteringkittenseliminatesthelikelihoodofunplannedoffspring.Thislitterwasneuteredpriortoadoptionanysubsequentdifficultyassociatedwithschedulinganeuteringappointmentforanownedanimalisthereforeavoided.051015202530ofpregnantcatsspayedDecember2005December2006December2007December2008December2009December2010December2011RSPCApubliccatspaysThisgraphshowsthepercentageofpubliccatspayswhicharefoundtobepregnantatsurgery.Eachyearshowsapeakofreproductiveactivityinthesummermonths.Analarmingnumberofownersareunawareofthepossibilityofpregnancyintheircats.REFERENCES1VetRec2009Jan311645137-41SurveyofthecharacteristicsofcatsownedbyhouseholdsintheUKandfactorsaffectingtheirneuteredstatus.MurrayJKRobertsMAWhitmarshAGruffydd-JonesTJ.RSPCAanimalhospitalsOurfourRSPCAanimalhospitalsand38clinicsprovidepreventativemedicineandwelfaretreatmentsforpetsbelongingtoownerswhoareunabletoaffordprivateveterinaryfees.RSPCAregionalanimalhospitaldirectorsDavidGrantMBEBVetMedCertSADFRCVSuntil15.8.12JulieJohnsonBScBVetMedMRCVSDipl.MgmtRebeccaWillbyBVScBScMRCVSDavidYatesBVScMRCVS