The Oktibbeha County Humane Society is offering a “Everyday is Caturday” adoption special to find homes for the abundance of homeless cats in its care.
All already spayed or neutered cats and kittens will be available for $25 through July 14, or “Caturday.” The adoption fee includes age appropriate vaccines, preventatives and microchipping.
“We started off by having Thursday as ‘Purrsday’ and ‘Caturday’ is Saturday, but then we thought that short amount of time wouldn’t put a dent in our cat population right now, so we decided to extend it and make everyday Caturday,” OCHS shelter manager Christy Wells said.
Wells said there are more cats and kittens in the shelter right now because animals tend to breed more in the warmer months.
Wells said right now, it is the middle of kitten season, and any age cat from 8 weeks to several years are available for adoption.
“A small percentage of cats we get in the shelter are reclaimed by their owner,” Wells said. “It’s very sad, but we’d like to get them reunited with their families, and having identification makes that a lot easier.”
Wells recommended getting all pets microchipped along with wearing identification to make sure pets can easily be reunited with families if they are lost. OCHS will also issue a “Paw Alert” on its social media with pictures and identifying information if a pet is reported lost or if a stray pet is found.
Wells said the most effective way to cut down on the number of strays is by having all pets spayed or neutered.
OCHS also offers a Trap Neuter Release program, Wells said, that will spay and neuter stray cats in the area through a grant and partnership with veterinarians.
“If a person finds an animal, they can find the shelter and we will give them the contact information for a veterinarian,” she said. “They would arrange transport to the veterinarian, and then she would let them know when they can pick the cat up, usually the next day, and they can be released back into that area.”
The free service will spay or neuter the cat, vaccinate the cat for rabies and tip the cat’s ear to show that it has been spayed or neutered.
Wells said the Trap Neuter Release program has already shown success.
“We have a lot of cats in the Cotton District, and they would be constantly breeding each year,” she said. “We have had several people trap in that area and have been very proactive over the last two years.”
For more information about OCHS and adoptable pets, visit ochsms.org or call (662) 338-9093.