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The GSPCA are delighted to announce a short documentary featuring our sanctuary will feature at this year's Galway Film Fleadh. The film is directed by Lorraine O Hanlon and shows the ups and down of a recession hit sanctuary through the eyes of 2 of our workers, Wendy and Tara, and also features some of the lovely dogs and cats currently residing with us.

Sanctuary will be shown at 10am on Thursday 9th July in the Town Hall Theatre. Tickets are €7. The details of the screening will be available at http://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com, and we ask everyone to come and see just what life in a sanctuary is like.

Common Cat Myths By: Renae Hamrick, RVT


There are countless theories and ideas out there on cats and cat care. What should you believe? Is it true or is it merely an old wives' tale that has mutated as it has been passed along?

Listed below are several common cat myths, old wives' tales, and legends and the truth or lack of truth they contain.

1. Cats can suck the breath from a baby. – NOT true! Cats have no intentions or ability to suck the breath from a baby. You should, however, be cautious of allowing a pet to sleep with a small child, in case of other inadvertent injuries.

2. Pregnant women should not scoop the litter box. – This has a lot of truth, but there is NO need to get rid of your cat. Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that a cat can carry without showing signs. This parasite, which can be acquired by handling their feces, is a concern for pregnant women because its detrimental to a developing fetus. While it is best for someone other than the pregnant woman to scoop the litter box, it is generally safe if scooped at least once every 24 hours. Pregnant women must also be cautious of this parasite when gardening and handling raw meat. Wearing gloves is best.

3. Cats cause schizophrenia. – This is NOT true! Pets are actually very helpful to our mental health.

4. Cats can see ghosts. – There is no scientific evidence of this.

5. If you have multiple male cats, they will spray and mark. – This is possible, but not necessarily true. Male and sometimes even female cats living by themselves will mark. Neutering before sexual maturity is the best way to prevent marking behavior.

6. Milk is good for cats. – A cat eating a high-quality food should not need milk. Cow's milk contains more lactose than a cat can tolerate, and will often cause diarrhea. If your cat insists on drinking milk, milk made for cats, such as Catsip, is best for him.

Imagine you are in a room, any room; now look around you and look at the 27 dogs in the room with you. They are all types, pedigree, non pedigree, large and small; full of fun. Now look again; they are all dead. That's the reality in Ireland today: 27 dogs are put down a day because they are not wanted. Sadly in Europe we are one of the worst offenders when it comes to getting rid of our unwanted pets.

It is to our shame that in Ireland pets are now a throw away fashion. We have had people wanting rid of their pet cats because they have changed the wall paper or carpet and the cat clashes with the color. We have people going on holidays dumping their dogs because we can pick up another when we come back. We have had rabbits, hamsters, dumped because they no longer are wanted. Each day we get calls from people who find kittens and puppies dumped at the side of the road. While we have records for the dogs of Ireland no such records are there for the cats of Ireland but evidence would suggest it is as high if not higher.

Today more than ever neutering your pet is vital, welfare societies can no longer cope with the unwanted puppies and kittens that the members of the public think we are there for. Not just to reduce the population but on health and welfare grounds as well all pets should be neutered. The latest consensus is that cats should be spayed at 4 -5 months and dogs 5-6 months. And forget that old pisreog; a cat or dog does not need a litter before neutering or that the animal has a better personality that’s hogwash.

Why should you neuter? Well for the following reasons:

It cuts down on unwanted kittens and puppies.

In female dogs it cuts down on cancer and pyometra. Mammary cancer is the most common cancer found in bitches; around 52% of all tumours, 50 % of these are sadly malignant. If she is neutered before her first season, she is 2,000 times less likely to get mammary cancer. In un-neutered male dogs you have a higher risk of testicular cancer, as well as prostatic diseases.

In female cats mammary cancer is the third most common cancer, 80% of feline tumours are malignant. In males neutering cuts down on fighting and reduces by 80% the risk of cat bite abscesses and reduces the risk of FIV as well. If your male cat is neutered it also reduces the marking of areas by males, a smell we all can do without.

So please, please if your pet is still not neutered please do the responsible thing and get it done otherwise you're only adding to the problem not helping to reduce it. There is an old saying ‘a stitch in time saves nine’, well the GSPCA says ‘a snip in time saves nine’.

http://www.spayweekireland.ie/