It was a busy day for Te Are Manu and Paws and Claws Cat Sanctuary volunteers as they continued their mission to provide free de-sexing for cats.

Te Are Manu’s medical director, Dr Rose Hasegawa, said they had many owners bringing their pet cats to the clinic yesterday. By 3pm, they had successfully de-sexed 14 cats.

“It is good, it means that there’s going to be less kittens on the island. They’re very quick to breed and pump out lots of kittens, so it’s really important we get in there and de-sex them before they start having babies,” Dr Hasegawa said.

“The community has brought a lot of the cats in today (yesterday). It is good to see that they’re engaging and wanting to get their cats de-sexed as well.”

Cats being desexed at Te Are Manu on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. SUPPLIED / 24041018 / 24041009 / 24041010 / 24041011 / 24041012 / 24041013

Dr Hasegawa added that they have some volunteers helping them, including Christina Pais, a vet from the United Kingdom, a nurse, and a local volunteer.

“We de-sex all the time, but today is a special day because Paws and Claws is providing free de-sexing for people on the island.

“Usually, we ask for a donation to cover the expensive medications that it costs to de-sex them, and also some of the equipment is a bit expensive to use, but thankfully, Paws and Claws through their fundraising has been able to sponsor the de-sexing day, which is really good.”

Anyone with animals that need de-sexing can contact Te Are Manu or Paws and Claws.

Dr Hasegawa also mentioned that they held a successful dog de-sexing drive during the Easter weekend market. They were able to de-sex 15 dogs thanks to the fundraising efforts at the market.

If you’re interested in the next de-sexing day, keep an eye on the social media pages of Paws and Claws or Te Are Manu.