When it comes to desexing rates for cats, owner income tells the story

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A study conducted by Harris Interactive for Alley Cat Allies came up with some interesting data. To start with, nearly all pets cats in America — more than 80 percent — are already desexed (note for Australians: studies here have shown we Aussies are up around 95% of owned cats being desexed). And the ones that aren’t didn’t have the misfortune of being owned by deadbeat, idiotic, irresponsible or callous people. No, they’re owned by poor people.

In fact, the single most influential predictor of whether or not a cat is altered is the income level of his or her owner.

Eighty percent of cats in U.S. households are neutered, according to a new, nationally representative study conducted by Alley Cat Allies and published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association, a leading peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The study, “Population characteristics and neuter status of cats living in households in the United States,” found that family income was the single strongest predictor of whether pet cats living in households are neutered. Over 90% of cats in households earning $35,000 or more per year were neutered, compared to 51% of cats in households earning less than $35,000.

As the study points out, it’s not pet cats (the only ones who would be affected by a mandatory desexing law) who aren’t being altered; it’s unowned strays. And cats represent the largest group of animals being killed in shelters.

So if you really want to cut down on shelter deaths, how about proposing a law funding Community Cat programs and mandatory assistance to low income pet owners to go along with this obsession with mandatory desexing laws. Anyone?

Original article: www.petconnection.com

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