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Kittens are extremely cute and lovable and are a joy to watch as they frolic around playing with whatever they can bat around with their little paws. As cute as they are, local shelters here in East Texas are about to be overrun with an abundance of unwanted kittens that will be looking for a home.

Each week we help out our friends at Pets Fur People in Tyler by trying to find a home for adoptable animals. We feature an adoptable pet each week as our 'Pet Of The Week'. Often times it's a dog that we feature, but know there are just as many cats that are waiting to be adopted too from our shelters. With so many cats waiting to be adopted, they will often get overlooked thanks to the newest arrivals as 'Kitten Season' is getting ready to explode.

What exactly is 'Kitten Season'?

A cat's breeding season is typical during the warmer months of March through October, according to the SPCA. Seeing how March is quickly approaching, now is the time to take action by being a responsible pet owner and spaying or neutering your cat, especially if they're an outside cat. A little know fact about kittens, they can get pregnant as soon as four months old. Yes, a kitten can have kittens.

How many kittens will be born this year?

According to a post from the Northeast Texas Rescue Organization, there will be approximately 20 million kittens born this spring. A good portion of those could either be turned loose to roam the city streets or be surrendered to an already overwhelmed shelter system. The SPCA reported in 2019 that approximately 860,000 cats that entered the nation's shelters ended up being euthanized.

Spay and neuter clinics are available to 'help control the pet population'.

That phrase was made famous by Bob Barker while hosting 'The Price Is Right', a phrase that Drew Cary continues to echo at the end of the show still. When we take action, and spay and neuter our dogs and cats it will lessen the strain on our shelters and will allow for more adoptable cats (and dogs) to find new homes as well. The following is a list of veterinarians that could be offering low-cost spay and neutering options around Tyler and Longview:

SNIPPET Spay/Netuter Clinic - Tyler
South Tyler Animal Clinic - Tyler
Cat Spay & Neuter Services - Tyler
Shelley Drive Animal Clinic - Tyler
University Animal Care Clinic - Tyler
Judson Road Animal Clinic - Longview
The Vet on 4th - Longview
C4 Veterinary Hospital - Longview
Owings Veterinary Clinic - Longview

Just jump on Google and do a quick search for 'low-cost spay and neuter clinic near me' and one will pop up. Let's all be responsible pet owners and help control the pet population.

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