The owner of a male and female cat who volunteers at three cat shelters in Belconnen, Ms Craig, says to have a successful containment policy in the ACT, to prevent roaming animals killing wildlife, cats need to be desexed.

Craig says most owners desex their cats. Yet there remains large numbers of kittens that are given away or sold for $30-$60 on Facebook, with no undertaking by the potential buyer to have them desexed, or microchipped, or vaccinated.

Consequently cat shelters are overrun during and after the spring breeding season."Things go crazy, there are lots of kittens, one shelter can keep 20 kittens before they turn people away. People are bringing in cats every day," she said.

Craig founded Canberra Cat Fix to help people on low incomes have their cats desexed. Craig says fundraising has reached about $10,000.

"We're getting a lot of positive feedback from people indicating they are now able to afford to microchip and vaccinate their cat because they saved so much money on the desexing operation. Healthcare card holders [pensioners] have to pay only $35 for a male cat or $45 for a female cat.

"Because our fundraising has gone quite well, we think we will be able to desex between 150-200 cats. If the fundraising continues in the way that it is, we will make Canberra Cat Fix a registered charity and desex cats on an ongoing basis."

Craig wants the ACT government, which donated $1000 to Cat Fix, to adopt a policy similar to NSW Local Government councils which hold annual desexing days, where the operation is either free or at a reduced rate for people on limited incomes.

Kippax Veterinary Hospital desexes about two cats a day for charitable cases.

By law cats should be desexed by the time they are 12 weeks old. Veterinary surgeon Dr Alison Taylor says it is best to have cats desexed before their first heat, which is six months.

A desexing operation for a female cat requires three medical staff and can take up to 20 minutes.

"There are definitely some people surprised by the cost of even vaccinations, or desexing," Taylor said. Pet medical insurance, which varied from $20 to $40 a month, was recommended.

The owner of "Pippa" a female cat, said Canberra Cat Fix meant financially she could breathe a sigh of relief and meet her cat's needs.

"I have had a cat previously who had two litters. She had her first litter at six months of age when she was still a baby and the second one shortly afterwards. I had no idea cats can have kittens so young and so close together," the owner said.

Amy Palmer says she needed help for her feline, 'Cookie'. "I needed Canberra Cat Fix for many reasons but my main reason would be I have two children and my oldest has a disability and money is tight.

"I got a few different quotes on de-sexing, I saved between $150-$250. Saving helped a lot to our budget I was able to take my children to the zoo while Cookie recovered. While Cookie was in surgery the vet found she had enlarged kidneys that can cause future problems but now that we know we can keep an eye on it before anything sinister does happen."

Palmer says government support for the cost of de-sexing for cats and dogs would mean the RSPCA's shelters, and those run by other organisations would not be full with unwanted animals.