Why November Should Be National Spay/Neuter Month and the 10-1 Rule

If I could have it all, I would make November a month where anyone could get their cat spayed or neutered for free during this month. So Why November Should Be National Spay/Neuter Month and the 10-1 Rule?

This is a time of the year where many communities are wrapping up from kitten season. Adoptions have picked up, so shelter numbers are down at more manageable levels. I know many parts of the country have kitten season year-round, but a month of free surgeries wouldn’t be bad, either.

Why November Should Be National Spay/Neuter Month and the 10-1 Rule

I would highly recommend that every group have a dedicated month of gifting the local community with spay/neuter surgeries in the fall. You will definitely see the benefits in the spring. If you listen to my podcast with Mike Keiley of the MSPCA, you will hear that even them doing a special $5 event for male cats, it made a significant change in their intakes in the spring/summer of that year!

We all know that doing a neuter takes very little time, has a low chance for complication and supply costs are minimal. Even if we all made a new “November Neutering Month” that wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

Many of you know that I love metrics. People have heard me say for years that for every trapper, you need four people fundraising for them. I would also like to throw out there that an organization should commit to spay/neutering ten community cats for every one that they rescue. If you follow that rule, I am certain that you will see a dramatic change in the number of cats and especially kittens needing rescuing. Hence, the 10-1 Rule!

If you aren’t fixing more community cats, you will be swimming against the tide of cat overpopulation and will lose your belief in the fact that TNR works. Even worse, you will be showing the non-believers that this will not work in your community because you are letting the cats down!

It is so important to offer extremely low cost or free spay/neuter for owned cats in your community. I really don’t see how you can be successful without offering that service.

Please make it a goal in 2018 to follow the 10-1 rule! I promise you will notice a difference in the spring!