Max cat-pacity: Lincoln County Humane Society overflowing with cats

You’ll discover greater than 9 lives on the St. Catharines animal shelter nowadays.

In keeping with Lincoln County Humane Society government director Kevin Strooband, they’ve seen an unprecedented variety of kittens this November.

“Usually, in November, we now have a big downturn and the shelter will get near empty over Christmas,” he mentioned. “This November is unprecedented. So many cats, each cage full, extra cats coming in, and I do not know what’s occurred.”

Mike France, the shelter’s director of operations, mentioned they’ve 78 cages that may maintain one grownup cat every, plus their surgical procedure restoration rooms, socialization rooms, rehab areas and colony areas. Strooband mentioned they’ll usually maintain round 150 cats.

Proper now, he mentioned they’re full.

“I do not know whether or not it is simply the climate that has impacted what we’re experiencing now, however we’re nicely over capability,” he mentioned, including that they’ve a number of kittens in a single cage and have ordered extra cages.

“We had plenty of calls throughout the pandemic to say, ‘are you seeing extra cats are available in?’ As a result of we had so much exit at first, and so they thought, ‘individuals going again to work, are they going to return animals?’” Strooband added. “That did not actually occur. and that is not what’s occurring right here.”

With no clear motive why there are such a lot of kittens, how can we stop overpopulation sooner or later?

France mentioned spaying and neutering your cats is the way in which to go.

“Everybody must be spaying or neutering any animal they’ve as a result of that is actually what stops this large circulate that we have been experiencing now,” he mentioned. “So the excellent news is that everyone right here now will exit with their pictures, will exit with a microchip, will exit spayed or neutered relying on the gender, and we’ll look to mitigate these items as we go ahead. However as animals are left unfixed, it (creates) increasingly more challenges throughout the neighborhood after which the Humane Society as nicely.”

What’s going to they do with all their cats now? Discover them ‘furever’ houses, after all!

French mentioned whereas individuals could gravitate towards the kittens as a result of they’re so cute, it’s necessary to recollect that there’s a cat that’s good for each state of affairs.

He informed a narrative of a senior lady dwelling in a retirement dwelling who got here in and adopted an eight-year-old cat.

“She’s a senior, and he or she was very pleased that she was capable of save a senior that was good for her and her atmosphere,” he mentioned, including that the cat lived an extra 10 years. “Kitties are definitely much more adaptable, so if you happen to did have kids, it is an effective way to introduce them to the duties of animal care … however I believe if there’s an ideal cat for everybody, relying on their life-style and their state of affairs.”

Anybody trying to undertake a cat or kitten can go to the Lincoln County Humane Society at 160 Fourth Ave. in St. Catharines or fill out an utility on-line.

“Lots of people say ‘you are saving a life’, ‘undertake, do not store’ and all of these clichés that we have come up as a result of they’re true,” Strooband mentioned. “We’re not going to euthanize for area. That isn’t an choice. We are going to discover them houses, it’s simply that if you happen to’re pondering of adopting, do your analysis and if you are going to make the leap, come see us.”

With the vacations developing, Strooband added that anybody trying to donate to the shelter is inspired to take action as a result of he mentioned they’re all the time in want of 4 issues: towels, liquid laundry cleaning soap, dry cat kibble and cat litter.

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