Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY

Keeping stray numbers down

Source: The Star

Date: 30 January 2007

To cope with the increasing numbers at their premises, the SPCA initiated an innovative campaign and is now seeing significant results.

IF YOU live within the Klang Valley and have noticed fewer stray cats and dogs roaming about in your neighbourhood these days, chances are that you are observing the efficacy of the spay-neuter campaign by the Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Since its initiation in 1993, the campaign has seen 2,969 female cats and 1,300 female dogs sterilised, up to last October. These animals would otherwise have given birth to an estimated 12.6 million kittens and six million puppies.

SPCA chairman Christine Chin was surprised when she analysed the statistics generated by the society-funded spay-neuter clinic (better known as Klinik Kembiri; kembiri means “spay” in Malay) in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, that began operations in April 2003.

With its neuter-spay campaign, the SPCA has seen fewer animals being sent to the shelter. There has also been a three-fold rise in adoption rates since it embarked on its public education outreach programme.
The figures extrapolate from the fact that each mature female cat gives birth to three litters of four kittens each year while a bitch reproduces twice annually, on average. The figures grow exponentially as the female kittens and puppies mature. Cats are sexually mature by the age of four months and dogs can reproduce by the age of six months.

“The figures are so compelling that we are convinced that it is a sound programme to solve the problem of stray dogs and cats in the country. Hence, it’s a no-brainer for the municipalities to make sterilisation a licensing condition for pet owners,” says Chin.

She adds that when people spay and neuter their pets, the practice will have a crucial impact on the stray population and the overall animal welfare status of the country. “When we spay and neuter, the killing (of strays) will eventually stop; it is nipping the problem in the bud.”

No Kill ideal

That has spurred the SPCA to envision a future in which its shelter at Ampang can embrace the No Kill vision – an international movement by animal welfare organisations to inculcate responsible pet ownership towards curbing the problem of unwanted pets.

However, some believe it is too idealistic for animal shelters, especially those that have adopted the open-intake policy for years, to refrain from killing surplus animals in a humane manner.

The society certainly faces a dilemma. In addition to the many unwanted pets that are dumped on its doorstep every day, the SPCA also rescues abandoned and stray animals from the streets. When its 0.4ha facility which is equipped to accommodate 400 animals fills up, as it easily does particularly during holiday seasons, the excess ones are inevitably put to sleep.

Occasionally, the SPCA is criticised by the public and animal lovers alike for its policy. Complaints from owners who surrender their pets to SPCA are common despite an understanding that their animals will be put down if no one adopts them after a certain period of time.

“In practical terms, SPCA will probably never achieve this,” admits Chin. However, we feel that it is necessary to aim for No Kill.

“We want to do something more positive for the animals and we have to improve on the way we handle unwanted animals and avoid the consequences of being a convenient dumping ground.”

To achieve that, the SPCA has reallocated its scarce resources (both manpower and funds) towards prevention work, like the setting up of Klinik Kembiri and public education outreach in support of it ambitious Stray Free 2010 campaign.

Between 250 and 300 animals are spayed or neutered monthly with weekend figures reaching 40 cases. Starting out with just one veterinarian, the clinic now employs two vets and has enlisted the voluntary service of five other vets to cope with the increasing demand. The number of cases it handles has risen steadily from 384 in 2003 to the present 1,065 for cats, and from 250 to 350 for dogs during the same period.

The SPCA-Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) partnership has become an exemplary model for other countries, resulting in many invitations for the SPCA to share its experience with animal welfare groups at international meetings.

DBKL has provided a building within its dog pound in Setapak for the clinic while the SPCA pays for the equipment, medicine and vets’ salaries. Funds are raised from the public to subsidise the low-cost sterilisation that makes it affordable for lower- and middle-income pet owners or those with many animals. The clinic charges RM50 per cat and RM70 per dog – which is a fraction of the fee charged by private veterinary clinics (RM180 upwards).

The SPCA is approaching several other local councils as well as lobbying the Department of Veterinary Services to amend the legislation to make sterilisation a licensing prerequisite, as well as include a differential licence fee and micro-chipping to shift the responsibilities to pet owners. It would also like to see the Klinik Kembiri concept replicated throughout the country.

Humane society

Judging from the 30% decrease in the number of cases of animals that have been put down and the three-fold rise in adoption rates since the society embarked on the awareness-raising trail, Chin is further convinced that Malaysia is on the way towards a more humane society for domesticated animals.

“We actually have fewer animals coming to the shelter, hence, the reduced number we’ve had to put down. We used to put 1,000 animals to sleep in a month but now we only have to do so for about 700. Today, when people surrender their pets to the SPCA, they’re counselled against it, resulting in some of them changing their minds.

“It’s really nice to see caring Malaysians bringing in animals not belonging to them to be spayed, particularly among the voluntary animal rescuers.

“By sterilising the abandoned animals, the rescuers are actually completing the cycle of caring for them. Otherwise, as the animals become healthy, they would multiply and contribute to the overpopulation of strays and the cycle would be perpetuated,” she says, referring to the emerging trend of independent rescuers in the city.

While appreciating the selfless act of individuals who rescue animals on their own initiative, Chin reckons that giving away the animals free-of-charge may work against the root problem as “it’s human nature to take free stuff for granted”. Instead, she argues that imposing an adoption fee that covers the vaccination, neutering, food and medical bills incurred by the rescuers would help to instil the much-needed sense of responsibility among prospective owners.

“Giving (the animals) away for free will only solve the pet rescuers’ problem but not the underlying problem of abandonment and the irresponsible attitude of some members of the public,” she adds.

Education, says Chin, is a long-term endeavour that the SPCA has taken on – with remarkable response. The society visits 15 schools a month to speak on responsible pet ownership and animal cruelty. In return, several schools have included volunteering at the SPCA as part of the extra curriculum for their students and raised funds by selling SPCA merchandise.

Lately, its outreach programme, incorporating the adoption exercise, is being sought after by shopping malls that want to play a role in promoting social awareness and community projects. Being in public places has helped highlight the work of the SPCA and improve the chances of animal adoption.

“Malaysians are becoming more receptive to the idea of adopting local breeds and the opportunity gives us the chance to correct the preference for pedigree stock over our local breeds that are so mixed these day that they are actually very attractive-looking,” says Chin.

ashleywong · Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 80 Location: Tmn Desa, KL

hi

i'm emphatise with the spay / neuter and release campaign for stray cats and dogs. i do see lots of stray cats in my area.

my kittens came from humble beginnings. their mother is a stray/feral cat. after i took in her kittens, about 3-4 months later, she has brought 3 more kittens to my doorstep, begging for food. i feel pity for her kittens, i suspect there should be more than 3 to her litter but the rest might have not survived.

right now i'm feeding her kittens for her as she doesn't seem inclined to do so (but she's asking for food from us). i also notice another tom cat nosing around lately.

can anyone please teach me how to get this female cat spayed so that the stray kitten population doesn't rise anymore? i prefer a less traumatic method as she is stray/feral and will definitely fight and/or run away if she thinks her safety is at risk.

the same goes for dogs too. but not many stray dogs seen at tmn desa, okr area

Dr Nat · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1834 Location: Klang Valley

To spay her, there is no choice but to catch her and bring her to a clinic to get spayed. As soon as she recovers, release her back where she was. That is the least traumatic way to get it done. It'll take a few days for her to return to normal, but when she knows she's in her environment, she'll be alright. Though, she might take a few more days to trust you again.

ashleywong · Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 80 Location: Tmn Desa, KL

hi dr nat

thanks for the prompt response. you must be "lurking" here all the time
:D

i mean during the catching process - can it be less traumatic? the release process is not that traumatic, just open the cage and let her out and of course, she'll may not want to look at me again after that

but it is the initial step that i'm apprehensive of - due to my own personal experience with them. the initial catching can be fraud with anxiety,fear, etc, etc. i hope it to be less traumatic for the cat as well as for me too.

how does the various animal-welfare organisation do this sort of catching ? lay in wait and pounce on them? or do they use a special cage?

wait, my nicky is asking for food...

oops, sorry for the delay.

the mother cat has not shown up for the past two days. only 3 of her kittens and one looked malnourished. i'm feeding them kitten kibbles (what i feed my kittens) but i'm not sure whether that's the best for them because they look as if they are still on their mother's milk

how do i tell how old a kitten is? by how fuzzy they are?!
:) :?

Dr Nat · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1834 Location: Klang Valley

There are several ways you could catch them. The least traumatic ones is by using a trap. You can even buy them at some hardware store, just ask for musang trap. It'll look like one big rat trap. Other ways of doing it, is to catch them using nets. Lying in wait and pouncing on them doesn't really work ;)

One more way.. keep on feeding her and making her tame enough for you to catch her.

If the kittens are able to eat solid food, then they usually dont need mothers milk anymore. You can feed them kibbles, but it helps if you soak and soften the kibbles first. Canned food will also do.