With their round faces and gentle, lumbering movements, giant pandas have a natural charm that is difficult to resist. With only around 1,900 giant pandas remaining in the wild, human affection for these animals has never mattered more.

New Mexico lawmakers are considering legislation that would preserve the state’s Affordable Spay/Neuter Law and extend funding for low-cost sterilization services for dogs and cats.

Waiting until 6 months to spay or neuter a cat may be too late. Feline Fix by Five, a national campaign observed each February during National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, urges cat owners to sterilize pets by five months of age, and veterinary research supports early spay and neuter.