Wednesday, June 17, 2009
“Kitten season,” a term coined by animal rescue groups, is right now. When warm weather and longer days overlap with unspayed female cats’ reproduction cycles, cats go into heat and un-neutered toms respond. The gestation period for cats is only 60 days, so thousands of kittens are born each year during the spring and summer months and, unfortunately, many of them wind up in already overcrowded animal shelters.
The American Humane Association estimates that four million cats and kittens end up in shelters every year; kitten season takes a toll on animal shelters as space and resources become limited. The hardest hit are the homeless adult cats, who are forced to compete with the abundance of kittens also looking for permanent homes. This is why shelters across the nation are currently celebrating Adopt-a-Cat Month. Here are some ways you can help ease the burden on shelters this time of year.
Spay or neuter your cat. The single most important thing you can do if you already own a cat is to make sure they are spayed or neutered, and encourage others to do the same. Most veterinarians will spay or neuter a cat that is two months old and weighs two pounds. If you are having trouble affording the cost of the surgery, call the Humane Society to see if there are discounts available.
Volunteer to become a foster parent. Many kittens who wind up at shelters are in need of fostering. Fostering entails taking care of homeless kittens that arrive at shelters too young to be adopted—typically those younger than eight weeks of age. Foster parents are also needed for kittens who are still nursing. Animal Shelter Assistance Program (ASAP) is in desperate need of foster parents. If you are interested, contact Lisa Lane, Volunteer Coordinator, at 681-4397 or asap.volunteercoordinator@gmail.com. To read more about becoming a foster parent for kittens in Santa Barbara, visit asapcats.org/foster.html.
Care for the feral kittens in your neighborhood. In addition to the kittens who wind up at animal shelters this time of year, even more are born to strays, radically increasing the feral cat population. If you notice “wild” kittens in your backyard, look to see if there is a mother nearby, who will most likely be hiding. You can try enticing them with food to get them to come to you. Attempt to scoop them up and put them in a cat carrier to take them to an animal shelter. It’s possible the kittens won’t let you touch them, in which case you should contact animal control to rent a live trap. Once mom and babies are caught, they can be checked out for worms, fleas, and other illnesses. Then they can then be fostered and eventually spayed or neutered, helping to reduce the overpopulation of cats.
Adopt a cat. Not only will their playful antics keep you entertained for hours, but studies have found that owning a cat can reduce your blood pressure and help prevent heart disease. Another positive feature about cats is that they are independent and can be left alone while you are at work (especially if you have multiple felines). Cats are very low maintenance—they litter-box train themselves and they stay clean since they bathe themselves (it also helps them stay clean if you keep them inside). Cats are also not picky about where they live; they are just as content in a one-bedroom apartment as they are in a four-bedroom house. Contrary to the opinion of some, cats are social and affectionate creatures. I’ve never owned a cat who didn’t want to cuddle and sleep in bed with me.
Feed shelter animals. Visit the Animal Rescue Site at www.theanimalrescuesite.com, and you can help to feed shelter cats (and dogs) while they await adoption.
The Santa Barbara Humane Society is offering reduced adoption fees for cats—only $44—during the month of June. The price includes spay/neuter surgery, current vaccinations, and a complete health screening, among other things. To adopt a cat, visit the Humane Society at 5399 Overpass Road on Monday-Saturday, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, call 964-4777.
ASAP is celebrating Adopt-a-Cat Month with discounts, giveaways, and an adoption fair on Saturday, June 27, when all adoptions of cats will be $25 off. These discounts apply for all cats who are six months of age and over. Stop by ASAP at 5473 Overpass Road, from Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed Sundays). For more info and to see some of their adoptable cats, visit asapcats.org.