"Name Your Price" adoptions at the Humane Society
With the weather feeling very summerlike, one thing that is all too apparent is there are a lot of baby animals out and about the area. Unfortunately, a lot of them are kittens who have no home of their own.
“Kitten season” is the time of year when cats give birth, flooding the Humane Educational Society with homeless litters. Kitten season actually lasts for three seasons, starting in spring, peaking in late spring or early summer, and ending in fall.
Resources already hard to come by—like food, money, and space—are stretched to their limit as our local shelter, which takes in thousands of adult animals every year, is inundated with homeless kittens. As they struggle to house as many cats as possible, the risk of illness increases.
At most shelters around the country sick kittens will be euthanized upon arrival, but it is the mission of the Humane Educational Society to give these pets a second chance. Kittens are prone to respiratory infections, parasites, and disease.
Many kittens surrendered to HES arrive without a mother and are still unable to eat canned or dry cat food and must be bottle fed by staff or foster parents to receive the proper nutrition.
June is Adopt-A-Cat Month and the HES is celebrating by offering “name your price” adoptions on cats and kittens. It is their hope that this adoption special will help many of their cats and kittens find a forever home so that they can make room for the hundreds of other kittens that will arrive at the shelter over the next several months.
The Humane Educational Society typically charges $25 for cat adoptions. That fee includes spay or neuter surgery, all age appropriate vaccines and a microchip. Adopters who name their price during the month of June will still receive these services with their adoption fee.
According to Research Gate, owning a cat has been shown to have positive effects on the ability to cope with stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness. Taking a cat home from a shelter can improve your sense of happiness and general well-being. A recent study found that owning a cat may lead to a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
If you live in an apartment, condo or other small space, a cat can be an excellent companion because cats don’t require lots of room or daily walks like a dog. Cats are generally low maintenance and if you provide them with toys (like cat trees and window rests for enrichment), they make wonderful roommates. And if you already have a cat, or a cat-friendly dog, bringing another cat home from a shelter can help reduce feelings of loneliness during the day when you’re out.
So if you’ve been on the fence about adding a fuzzy ball of love to your home, now is the time to head over to 212 North Highland Park and pick a kitten or cat (or several, if you’re so inclined) to become part of your family.
To learn more about the Humane Educational Society, you can call them at (423) 624-5302 or vist them online at heschatt.org
Note: in the print edition, this article was incorrectly attributed to Suzanne Ford instead of Michael Thomas. We apologize to both writers for the error.