Kent Animal Shelter offers $20 ‘Beat the Heat’ cat spaying campaign during February

Kent Animal Shelter in Calverton is offering a special “Beat the Heat” $20 spay campaign this month for female cats during the month of February.  Spaying your cat in advance of her heat cycle will prevent unwanted litters this spring.

Animal shelters commonly refer to spring time as “kitten season” because that is when they receive the largest influx of numbers of unwanted litters that are difficult to adopt, according to the animal shelter.

Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population and 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 can be beneficial, improving the health of the pet by reducing the 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 Pamela Green, Executive Director of the Kent Animal Shelter. “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 this year.”

This special $20 rate is even less than the organization’s normal low-cost price and is available to all residents of Long Island. Cat parents who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Beat the Heat” campaign when they schedule their appointment. This campaign,  based on availability, is sponsored by PetSmart Charities,  the largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America, according to a press release issued by Kent Animal Shelter last week.