New non-surgical alternative to spaying, neutering might help curb cat populations

(CNN) - There might be a new non-surgical way to help curb populations of feral cats.

A new study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications reported that long-lasting contraceptive injections are showing promise to keep cats from getting pregnant.

Dr. Bill Swanson, a director at The Cincinnati Zoo, led the study.

He says six cats were injected with a gene that affects a hormone in ovarian follicles.

Two years later, researchers found that the shot was still working, and none of the cats in the group became pregnant after a couple of male cats were introduced.

The procedure is less intrusive than spaying and neutering, but it could be years before the injection gets final approval.

There are an estimated 600 million domestic cats in the world, and 80% of them are feral or strays.

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