Summertime is “kitten season” – unspayed female cats go into heat and give birth to more adorable kittens than animal shelters can give away.

That’s why local humane societies encourage prospective pet owners to bring cats into their homes in June, also known as Adopt-a-Cat Month. Animal protection organizations like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also step up their appeals to the public for donations to fund widespread spaying and neutering that will help bring the companion animal population under control.

But a growing number of animal advocates insist that these well-intended, altruistic efforts should change course. They’re using mathematical reasoning to deliver a sharp message to mainstream animal charities and their donors: The money you spend to help cats, dogs and other human companions could be used more effectively to improve the lot of chickens, pigs and other animals raised in farms for food.

Read the source article at The Conversation