Cat contraception in a shot

Researchers have announced a new and effective method of long-lasting contraception for female cats. It doesn’t require surgery or pills and works with just a single shot. This breakthrough could be a game-changer for controlling feral cat populations and improving animal welfare.

Gene therapy stops ovulation in female cats

The new method acts upon the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) system. This hormone is important for the development of the female’s ovaries and follicles (the sacs that contain the eggs). But at very high levels, AMH can stop the development of follicles.

The new technique introduces a transgene for AMH using a gene therapy vaccine. This simply means that a harmless virus is used to carry a gene that prevents cats from ovulating.

The vaccine is given as a single injection into the muscle. Once the vaccine enters the cat's body, the virus infects the muscle cells and delivers the AMH gene. Then this gene starts producing a high level of AMH which prevents the ovaries from developing follicles. Without follicles, ovulation and pregnancy cannot occur.

What are the benefits of this new cat contraceptive?

This new method offers several advantages over traditional contraception methods for cats. It's long-lasting, with cats remaining infertile for at least two years. It's also safe, with no observed side effects in the study. And importantly, the procedure does not involve surgery with its high cost and health risk.

Is gene therapy dangerous?

At this point, you might be worried that altering genes could lead to a mutant cat! But this method creates AMH in the cytoplasm of the muscle cell and does not interact with the cell’s DNA (which is in the nucleus and controls the cell's function). Also, muscle cells don’t normally die – so the ability of cells to continue to create AMH could last a lifetime.

What does this mean for feral cats?

Feral cats are a major concern in many parts of the world. They can wreak havoc on the environment, prey on birds and other wildlife, and may pose health risks to humans and domestic animals. Current contraception programs are difficult and expensive because they usually require cats to be captured and undergo sterilization surgery before they are released.

This new contraception method could be a valuable tool for managing feral cat populations. A single dose injection – without surgery - is all that is needed. It could help reduce the number of unwanted kittens, lower euthanasia rates, and improve the overall welfare of cats.

What's next?

More research is needed to fully understand the long-term safety and effectiveness of this new method. The researchers are also planning to try this approach in female dogs. The initial results are very promising, and researchers are hopeful that this could be a game-changer for pet contraception.

Stay tuned to the Blue Toby Natural Pet Blog for more updates on better methods of caring for pets.

More details:

Scientific publication: Durable contraception in the female domestic cat using viral-vectored delivery of a feline anti-Müllerian hormone transgene. Nature Communications, June 2023

Some of the media coverage:

Hello kitty, goodbye kittens? Gene therapy spays cats without surgery. Science, June 2023.

Sterilizing Cats, No Surgery Required. The Atlantic, June 2023.

A gene therapy shot might keep cats from getting pregnant without being spayed. Science News, July 2023.

To learn more about research on nonsurgical cat and dog contraception: Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs.