It's Kitten Season: Animal Shelter Urges Owners to Spay and Neuter

Every spring, the Sacramento County Animal Shelter is flooded with "several thousand unwanted kittens," officials say.

Cats will soon be going into heat and will be fertile for having those kittens, and county officials are urging owners to spay and neuter their pets.

"One of the best gifts you can give your pet and your family is to have your animal spayed or neutered,” a press release quoted Sacramento County Animal Shelter Director Dave Dickinson as saying. "These are routine procedures that provide great benefits including a longer, healthier and happier life for your cat."

In the span of seven years, a pair of cats can produce 781,250 offspring, according to the press release, which cites research from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Here are the shelter's spaying and neutering programs:

Currently, the County Animal Shelter is offering several spay/neuter programs including free spay/neuter for feral cats and $10 spay/neuter for domestic cats. They offer creative adoption promotions including $5 Feline Fridays to help encourage cat adoptions. Details to these programs and to view some amazing animals can be found at www.SacCountyShelter.net.

The County Animal Shelter is open Wednesday through Friday from 12:30 - 5:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from Noon–4:30 p.m. and is closed Monday and Tuesday and most holidays. The shelter is located at 3839 Bradshaw Road, one mile south of Highway 50.