If you’ve been given a new pet for Christmas you’ll already be well aware that you’ve received one of the best gifts a person could ever give or receive. However high or low maintenance the pet, though, a couple of trips to the vets will probably soon be essential.

If they are young, they will almost certainly need to be neutered. Reproduction stats for cats are mind blowing. 2 uncontrolled breeding cats produce 2 litters a year, at a survival rate of 2.8 kittens per litter. If cats continue to breed as well as their offspring, and theirs etc they will produce 12 cats the first year, 66 cats the second, 2,201 cats in the third year, 3,822 cats in the fourth, 12,680 cats in the fifth year, and on it goes . . . This is according to ezinearticles.com.

While the figures differ slightly, this diagram from the highly respected Stanford University in the U.S. would appear to back up the potentially huge scale of the problem if people don’t neuter their pets, so get down to Drove Vets or Riverside Veterinary soon!

Even our cats who were 8 and already neutered needed two visits to the vet soon after they came to live with us for jabs, and a year on they’re due back soon for one more.

For general pet supplies in town there’s Marlborough Pets on London Road and if your requirements are more dog-specific there’s The Dog Shop in Pelham Court near Riverside Veterinary.

There are more pet related services in the Marlborough area to be found on the Marlborough People Business Directory, from dog trainers to catteries and kennels and more.....