The Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control Presents: Contraception in Cats

Video credit: Botstiber Institute for Wildlife Fertility Control

In this webinar, Drs. Godin and Vansandt present the findings of a recent proof-of-concept study that demonstrates the safety and efficacy of a novel nonsurgical contraceptive in female domestic cats. This contraceptive is based on the adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) delivery of an Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) transgene.

Two years after a single intra-muscular delivery of the contraceptive, none of the treated females achieved clinical pregnancy, while all control females gave birth to healthy litters. Only a third of the contracepted females allowed breeding by a male during this period. No adverse reactions were observed during regular health checks. This gene therapy approach may provide a rapid, minimally invasive, and easily applied option to induce lifelong contraception for stray female domestic cats.

Presenter info:
  • Philippe Godin, DMV, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Lindsey Vansandt, DVM, PhD – Director of the Imperiled Cat Signature Project at the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden