‘Kitten season’ keeps Kansas Humane Society near capacity (+video)
Summer: the season of Kool-Aid, kabobs and – kittens?
As of Monday, the Kansas Humane Society is caring for more than 220 homeless kittens at the peak of “kitten season.” The period runs from late spring through summer.
“We call it kitten mountain,” said spokeswoman Melissa Houston. “They just pile up.”
The increase is somewhat preventable if pet owners spay or neuter their cats, especially those that spend time outdoors. Breeding is common with the increased daylight hours. The mating season can lead to a domino effect, since cats as young as four months can breed, Houston said.
Many of the kittens brought in are too young or underweight to be adopted, which means trained volunteers care for them in their homes. More than 120 of the kittens were in the foster care system.
But once these kittens reach 2 months and 2 pounds, it’s back to the Humane Society’s kennels. Reaching both benchmarks means the kitten is strong enough to undergo a spay/neuter surgery, a mandatory procedure for any cat before it is adopted.
There were roughly 80 adoptable cats and kittens on Monday, which is 10 short of the shelter’s capacity for cats.
“We’re pretty much at capacity all summer,” Houston said.
And once the Humane Society reaches capacity, there aren’t many options left.
Employees can often convince whoever brought in the kitten to bring it back in a few days when cages have hopefully cleared. But if the animal is a stray or the owner can’t keep it any longer, the Humane Society turns to its last resort: euthanasia.
Of the 68 euthanasia cases this month, most were because the kitten was too sick to survive or too young. There have been a couple of kittens put down because of overcapacity.
“It really comes down to too many kittens and not enough homes,” Houston said.
In July, 558 kittens had come in as of Monday. A majority of those came from Wichita Animal Services or were surrendered by their owner. Almost half have been adopted.
The Humane Society employs two veterinarians who can perform 20 to 30 spay or neuter surgeries in a single day. The nonprofit tries to offset the expense through its adoption fee, which is normally $99.
The price fluctuates as the kennels approach capacity.
“If you see a special, it means we need to push animals through,” Houston said.
The organization is offering a 2-for-1 deal this week, its fourth promotion of the month. Saturday is Family Day at the Humane Society where kittens are $10.
The kitten surplus also causes a problem for the shelter’s cats.
“Kittens adopt quicker,” Houston said.
For that reason, adult cat adoptions are always free.
Reach Kelly Meyerhofer at 316-268-6357 or kmeyerhofer@wichitaeagle.com.
Dealing with feral cats
Feral cats roaming a community also contribute to the overabundance of kittens. If you see a stray cat, Kansas Humane Society spokeswoman Melissa Houston said, there are three options:
If the cat seems healthy, take the animal to a veterinary clinic for spay or neuter surgery. If your family income is below $40,000, the Humane Society offers the surgery for $47. Returning the cat back to the community is important because it helps control pest populations.
If the cat seems healthy but you are uncomfortable catching the critter yourself, call Friends of Felines Kansas at 316-778-0869. The local group humanely traps feral cats and gets them spayed or neutered. The nonprofit prefers to work with callers willing to care for the cat, said spokesperson Tammey Stubbs.
If a cat seems sick or diseased, call Wichita Animal Control at 316-268-8473 to pick up the animal.
This story was originally published July 29, 2015 at 6:29 PM with the headline "‘Kitten season’ keeps Kansas Humane Society near capacity (+video)."