By Bridget Domenighini
As most animal lovers can tell you, spring is kitten season at your local animal shelter. At Peoria County Animal Protection Services (PCAPS), we are usually taking in at least 10 litters of kittens each week beginning in April. This is in addition to the standard number of adult cats that are being surrendered or picked up as strays. The flood of kittens seems to continue through early fall, and by December, shelter staff can finally catch their breath and regroup from the cute, cuddly madness they’ve endured all spring and summer. This year, we have the advantage of having several foster homes enlisted to help bottle feed, socialize, and pamper those babies too young to survive without mom in the shelter.
In order to help combat the seemingly endless flow of kittens into the shelter, we work with Peoria Humane Society to educate pet owners on the importance of spaying and neutering. If a family cannot afford to have their cat spayed, we can recommend several low cost options. If you have a litter of kittens with their momma, we will spay the mom at no charge and return her to you if you allow us to adopt out her kittens. Her kittens will all be spayed or neutered, as well as microchipped and vaccinated, prior to that adoption. Our goal is to encourage proper care of our feline friends in the community in order to reduce pet overpopulation and the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals in shelters.
In an effort to find homes for more cats and kittens, we will once again be offering our fee-waived cat and kitten adoptions through the month of June. On June 11, Peoria Humane Society will host their annual Kitten Shower, where participants can play with several litters of kittens available at PCAPS, enjoy refreshments and kitten art, and even take home a new cat or kitten! Each feline will come spayed or neutered with a microchip, initial vaccines, and 30 days of free pet health insurance—all at no initial cost to the adopter. We do want to remind adopters that no pet is free for life. All pets need good quality food and water, routine vet care, and may need emergency care several times in their lifetime. And a cat’s lifetime could be 20 years! So, while we believe in offering the fee-waived adoption promotion to get people in the door, it is important that adopters understand that they are making a commitment for the pet’s lifetime.
If you’re in the Peoria area and are looking for a pet, stop by to meet our adoptable cats and kittens this June! You may just find one, or even two, new feline best friends. If you cannot adopt but want to help, sign up to be a volunteer or a foster home by contacting the Peoria Humane Society at 309-682-9015. We’d love to have your help!
Photo credit: mapodile/iStock