Pet Talk (week of May 16, 2018)

6 years ago

Spring is here! As much as we love this time of year, we who work or volunteer at shelters know it is kitten season. These beautiful, fluffy furballs are too cute to resist.

Of course, if you are looking for a kitten please head to a shelter and adopt one. These kittens will already have been given a physical, needed shots, wormed, and flea treated if necessary and above all spayed or neutered. People who get a “free” kitten will have to incur the costs of the care that are listed above and may get hit with your new bundle of joy has feline leukemia or a heart murmur or some other ailment. Imagine falling in love only to find out that you may have medical costs above what you can afford.

Our next spay and neuter clinic will be held on May 22-24. Please call the shelter at 532-2862 to learn more. Do you have any community or barn cats that need to be fixed? Now’s the time. Are you low income and the cost of spaying and neutering your cat is out of reach? Please call. There are funds available to help. Spaying and neutering helps curb the populations and is actually healthier for them.

If you can’t get into this clinic be sure to put your name and contact information in for the next one. We do them fairly frequently and the benefits are outstanding. We hate to see so many fending for themselves instead of living in a nice warm, loving home. If they are feral, they can be trapped, neutered and released in their own area and not continue the cycle. Some of these cats are actually happier living on their own. Please do your part to break the cycle of overpopulation.

Do you want a kitten, but not the commitment? Fostering is a wonderful way to enjoy kittens without the long-term obligation that comes from ownership. The shelter provides all the supplies, and info to get you started. It’s very rewarding to watch a momma cat learn to trust you and kittens are a blast. Way better than television. Their cute antics are hysterical. If you find that the mom or kittens are a perfect fit, you can become a “ foster failure.” My two cats are both foster failures and are great! I can’t imagine my life without them.

Our newsletters are out and will be in various businesses. Please pick one up and see our adoptables. The newsletters also contain info, events and pictures!

As always stop in to the shelter. We are open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Maybe you’ll find a forever friend or a friend to foster! I also just read that Friends don’t let friends have litters! So true.