Adopt a new friend at the animal shelter

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Shelter worker Mack Mullican counts the kittens as shelter officials promote June as Adopt a Cat Month. Shelter workers say the cat and kitten population increases over the summer. (Amy Satterwhite photo)

As Beth Carter and Mack Mullican pull a litter full of kittens from a cage at the Warren County Animal Shelter, a poster located across the hall reveals a grim reality.

In a female cat’s first year of life, she can produce as many as 12 offspring. For the next few years, it’s a matter of simple math.

Square 12 and there’s 144. Square 144, and there’s 1,728. Square 1,728, and that one mother cat can be responsible for 20,736 offspring, the poster points out.

That’s not good news when you’re working at a place that deals with the reality every day, in addition to educating a public about spaying and neutering pets or promoting adoptions to good families. Workers at the animal shelter are celebrating June as Adopt a Cat Month and are hopeful more people may take the opportunity to examine cats and kittens available at their facility.

“They do populate real quick,” said Carter, who works alongside Mullican and Thomas Roach as co-managers. “We’re getting in a bunch this time of year. We’re getting more cats than dogs.”

At present, the animal shelter is home to more than 30 cats and kittens, one of which has been there about two months. They come from all different places. Some are strays, some are found on the side of the road and some are brought in by people with pregnant cats.

“They come in with babies and we’ll adopt the kittens and they’ll have another litter, so it doesn’t take long at all,” Carter said.

Carter wishes she could take them all home, but knows that’s not possible.

“Cats are real good and they’re maintenance-free,” Mullican said. “We’ve got lots and lots of cats. They’re good cats and they’re ready for adoption. Usually, a once-a-year trip to the vet for a rabies shot is all you need as far as maintenance.”

Workers don’t like to talk about how many kittens or cats have to be euthanized, but said they try to only put down the cats who are sick or wild, though Carter said most stay until they’re adopted.

Right now, the trouble is the population, which rose in May and June.

“Right now we’ve got so many and they’re not enough people coming,” she added.

The fees for a kitten adoption are $25 and for a cat, $60. For a cat older than 6 months, the fee includes a rabies shot and the spay or neuter. Dog adoption fees are $75 and include the shot and spay or neuter. Adoption fees help to support the shelter’s operation, and the shelter is always in need of donations, volunteers, cleaning supplies and kitty litter.

Adoption costs
Kitten – $25
Cat – $60
Dog – $75
• Fees for cats over 6 months and dogs include rabies shot and spay or neuter