‘Precious, Not Parents’ Campaign Offers Spay/Neuter Surgery for $20

They may be just babies, but kittens as young as 4 months are old enough to get pregnant and have their first litter just two months later.

“These precious babies shouldn’t be parents at 5 and 6 months old,” says Liz Pease, Director of Operations at the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS).

That’s why MRFRS, with funding provided by PetSmart Charities, the largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America, is introducing the “Precious, Not Parents” campaign. Through the “Precious, Not Parents,” campaign, MRFRS will provide $20 spay and neuter surgeries for kittens under six months of age during the month of June.

Some pet parents may worry that their pet is too young for this procedure, but spaying and neutering is safe and easy for kittens as young as eight to 10 weeks old, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. In fact, MRFRS has performed more than 10,000 pediatric spay/neuter surgeries since 2008.

“Many owners put off the procedure and wait until their kitten is six to eight months old,” says Pease. “But by then, a litter of kittens can be born.”

This special $20 rate is even less than the organization’s normal low-cost priced and is available to all customers of the MRFRS’ mobile spay/neuter clinic, the Catmobile. Pet parents who wish to take advantage of this offer must mention the “Precious, Not Parents” campaign when they call to schedule their appointment. The campaign is based on availability.

MRFRS will provide 150 “Precious, Not Parents,” sterilizations for $20 in June. Please visit mrfrs.org or call 978 465-1940 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

PetSmart Charities’ “Precious, Not Parents” campaign provides more than $705,541 to spay/neuter clinics to fund affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries for more than 13,935 puppies and kittens across the nation during the month of June.

– Submitted by Linda Faber