TOLEDO – Warmer weather may still be months away, but Humane Ohio wants pet parents to "Beat the
Heat" by spaying their female cats in advance of their heat cycles and preventing unwanted litters
from being born this spring. (Animal shelters commonly refer to spring time as "kitten season"
because that is when they receive the largest numbers of unwanted litters that are difficult to adopt.)

To help reduce the number of homeless cats born this spring, Humane Ohio is offering a special "Beat
the Heat" promotion sponsored by PetSmart Charities, the largest funder of animal welfare efforts
in North America. During the entire month of February, the non-profit organization will spay owned
female cats for a special rate of $20.
Spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the homeless pet population. Spaying a
female cat by four months before the first heat cycle is actually beneficial, rather than waiting until
after one heat cycle has occurred. The procedure is known to improve the health of the pet, including a
reduced risk of certain reproductive cancers and infections.
"Female cats can have as many as three litters a year, and kittens can breed as young as four months
old," Jill Borkowski, Humane Ohio marketing director said. "It’s our goal to eliminate pet
homelessness in our community by offering high-quality, affordable spay/neuter, and our "Beat the
Heat" promotion is a fun way to reach out to the community and prevent unwanted litters. Most
people don’t want to see their cat get pregnant over and over again, so hopefully our "Beat the
Heat" campaign will serve as a gentle reminder to cat owners to fix their cats before they go into
heat and become pregnant this year."
The special "Beat the Heat" rate is even less than the non-profit organization’s normal
low-cost spay price and is available to all residents of Ohio and Michigan. Cat parents who wish to take
advantage of this offer must mention the "Beat the Heat" promotion when they schedule their
appointment and availability is limited.
Thanks to the PetSmart Charities grant, Humane Ohio will be able to spay 400 owned female cats at the
special $20 rate during February. Visit www.humaneohio.org or follow Humane Ohio on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/humaneohio for more information or call 419-266-5607 to schedule an appointment.