February 7, 2019

Continued:

“Cats are an animal species with a high degree of reproduction and in a short period of time, statistically, one cat in seven years brings several hundred thousand cats. In practice, these are not those numbers because most of them die from viral diseases, traffic accidents, poisoning, fights, but statistically speaking, in seven years, 430,000 cats can multiply from one cat. The main reason why cats need to be neutered is the high degree of reproduction, and then the inhumane conditions in which they live on the street. Viral diseases are easily transmitted from cat to cat, there were not so many of them before, and now they are very common. These are Feline Leukemia, Feline AIDS, peritonitis, and herpes, which is an old disease. All these diseases occur due to the increase in the number of cats…”

After the surgical procedure, the cat is taken care of, depending on the age category, gender, the kind of anesthesia and the specific procedure it had. All of them are under supervision for one to two days, either in the ambulance or by the volunteers who brought them. Cats are seasonally polystyrene animals and are in the phase of full dormancy from December to January, February and therefore this period is best to do sterilization to prevent new offspring:

“Personally, I don’t like doing pregnant animals, although some colleagues do, but it doesn’t matter because it’s a matter of attitude towards that. The number of the population is drastically reduced, if it is done in this period. There are fewer complications, smaller cuts. Animals can withstand procedures more easily if done on a non-pregnant animal. It’s a lot of benefit, and little harm, that’s what I mean.

When I came in contact with Tea Božović, and her sister Sandra, who lives in America, I heard about this idea. Americans have foundations for anything and everything. We think America is a rich country just like that, and all these people do two jobs. This woman, April King, with whom I am in contact, is a woman of years and does two jobs. She sacrifices her free time and impaired health for the benefit of Kotor cats, no matter how strange it may sound to someone. These are mostly people who came to Kotor, who liked Kotor very much, much as the city and the ambiance remained in their fond memories. They noticed a lot of cats, and that’s how it all started. In communication with them, I see that they are humane people, who do not deal with it in order to solve their material problems. They direct the excess of their free time in that sense.”

A spayed or neutered cat is recognized by an internationally known symbol: a slightly shortened tip of the ear. In females it is the right ear and in males the left ear.

“It still isn’t known in our country because people have an aversion when they hear the cats need to have their ears cut. After sterilization the wound heals quickly, so it happens that a cat that has already been sterilized is brought for sterilization, which is a serious problem for someone who does the job because he opens the cat, and cannot find the reproductive organs he needs to find. In our country, people often perceive it as totally wrong, as some kind of damage to an animal, which in essence is not the case. It is a great help to the one who works because every other way is very difficult.

These are often street cats, and many of them are completely wild or semi-wild. It is a great effort to catch such a cat at all. When she is caught it is not easy to give anesthesia. It’s a big deal until it comes to the surgery itself. To facilitate the whole procedure, for this reason the notch is made. And of course the cat does not go through the same process twice. The surgical wound that we have to do during the operation hurts a lot more than the small incision in the ear. When the time comes that the animals have to be chipped in our country as well, then the owner will pay a tax for them, and it will be higher for an animal that has not been sterilized.”

The association Kotor Kitties would especially like to thank all the volunteers, lovers of abandoned cats, feeders, and people who take care of the street cats of Kotor and Tivat, especially the volunteers from Perast “Love Faith”. Kotor Kitties will continue to work at the local level in cooperation with “Vet Port Kotor”, and two more big actions are planned before the start of the mating season. They also say that they will support and sponsor all spays and neuters of street cats outside the action period. It is only necessary to make an appointment at the clinic “Vet Port”.