Council offers discounted desexing program for cats

Orange Council

Orange City Council is holding its annual discounted desexing program to reduce the number of unwanted kittens and stray cats in Orange.

It is open to pensioner concession card holders, who can have their cat desexed for $66 which includes microchipping and registration if needed.

Eligible Orange residents wishing to have their cat desexed should visit Orange City Council’s customer service desk in the Civic Centre, Byng Street, to book and pay for the procedure, which will be carried out at Canobolas Family Pet Hospital.

HEALTHY PETS: Desexing your pet is better for the overall health and wellbeing of the animal.

There is a limit of one cat per household. Registrations open Monday 7 March. The desexing program is funded by Orange City Council.

Orange City Council’s Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee Chair, Councillor David Mallard said this was a huge reduction in cost and encouraged pensioner concession card holders to take advantage of the program.

“In just a couple of years, a pair of cats can produce thousands of kittens, many of which end up with diseases like cat flu and cat FIV [feline immunodeficiency virus]. This can all be avoided by ensuring your cat is desexed,” Cr David Mallard said.

“Desexing has also been proven to have many long-term benefits for a cat’s health and wellbeing, so there is no question that desexing your cat is better for the cat and better for the environment and our local native wildlife.”

Funding is limited and will be allocated on a first-in basis. It is expected to desex about 50 cats in this round of the program.

Council plans to offer a similar program for dog desexing in early May and will notify the community when it is taking bookings.

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