Every time I think about the progress we have made in educating the public about the importance of spaying and neutering our companion animals, I am reminded of how far we have yet to go.

Recently, two situations were brought to my attention, both of which were discouraging.

My brother's friend has one female cat that has not been spayed nor had any shots that he is aware of. This young cat, not even one year old, has already had two litters of kittens.

We tried to encourage the owner to get the cat spayed after she had the first litter, but by the time the owner showed any interest, the cat was about to have her second litter. Now this one person has 10 cats that have not had shots, never been tested for serious diseases, and haven't been spayed or neutered. This is a deplorable situation.

The second incident upset me but does leave room for hope. A woman approached our APS information table at a public event with questions about her four cats -- two males and two females. Three of the four cats are related. None of them are spayed or neutered. The females are pregnant now and one already had five kittens.

The woman didn't know anything about spaying, neutering, diseases or vaccinations, but at least she asked many questions.

I told her about the Nick's Road veterinary clinic in Mebane which offers low-cost spay and neuter services to the public. I gave her suggestions on how to stop the problem of over-breeding, and I hope she takes the advice.

Remember folks, this is a serious problem for all the unwanted animals that have no homes. Please help your friends and neighbors to secure spay/neuter services for their pets.