Special to the Pioneer Times
HOULTON – The Houlton Animal Shelter currently houses over 130 cats and kittens. With so many cats, the shelter has every shape, size, and personality of cat imaginable – grey cats, calico cats, black cats, lazy cats, playful cats, and everything in between. But all these cats have certain things in common: they are all eager for human attention, loving affection, and a good home.
Cathy Davis, the president of the Houlton Humane Society, promotes a Houlton Animal Shelter gift certificate for the holidays, so potential owners can pick out their own pet.
“We find that animals choose you, you don’t choose them,” said Davis.
But Davis also warns that actually adopting a pet as a gift is not a great idea.
“You’re not really sure that the folks that you give a pet to really want one,” she explained.
She encourages potential adopters to consider pets as a lifetime commitment, and although she discourages adopting for other people,
“Bringing an animal home over the holidays is very rewarding, you saved one from spending Christmas in a cage,” she said.
Houlton Pioneer Times/Elizabeth Gartley
GRABBING A BITE – The cats housed at the Houlton Animal Shelter are now on the Hill’s Science Diet, which has a more concentrated nutritional value per cup than other cat food brands.
Another gift option the shelter offers is a tile in the recipient’s honor with a picture and dedication, with the donation for the tile going to help the animals and upkeep of the shelter. The shelter’s Tile-By-Tile building campaign wall is displayed in the entrance of the shelter.
For those who would like to help the shelter care for its cats, but can’t adopt one, there are other options.
“Donate some time,” says Debbie Hornblower, a volunteer at the shelter, “Help us take care of the animals, that’s the number-one thing.”
Volunteers play a key role at the shelter, and are continually seeking ways to keep the animals happy and healthy, and it shows. In the “community cat room,” which contains cat beds, scratching posts, and couches, the clowder of cats affectionately greets all visitors and potential adopters.
In addition to monetary donations or volunteering, the shelter is always in need of cat litter and will happily accept litter donations. Donating cat food isn’t recommended though, as cats at the shelter are now on the Hill’s Science Diet, which is a specialized cat food that packs more nutritional punch per cup than other cat food brands.
Along with the numerous cats, the shelter also has six dogs looking for good homes.
Donations can be made at the shelter’s facility on the Callaghan Road or on the shelter’s web site, www.houltonanimalshelter.com, where images of adoptable pets are also available, or by calling 532-2862.
