The Norman Animal Shelter strongly urges people to spay and
neuter their pets.
According
to the ASPCA website, only 10 percent of animals that go into shelters are
already spayed and neutered. The shelter will not even allow people to adopt a
cat or dog unless it has been spayed or neutered first.
Officer Amy Jones, pet adoption coordinator,
says that this summer has been especially cramped in the cat department. As of
June 15, the Norman Animal Shelter has taken in 83 cats in the month of
June.
The
breeding season for cats is from mid March to October, and one female cat can
have two litters during one breeding season, says Jones.
“We need
people to be more responsible,” Stan Koonce, animal welfare officer, said. “It’s
hard to control it.”
“Even the
cat groups we work with are calling us and saying ‘This is crazy!’” Jones said.
The increase
of kitten litters coming into the shelter creates another problem. There is not
enough space and some of the kittens are sick. Some of the kittens come in with
respiratory problems, feline leukemia, and other major health issues.
The officers
at the shelter try to give the animals the best possible chance for adoption.
“We try to
adopt them out or send them out to the cat rescues, but we have to wait for spaces
to open up,” Jones said.
Jones has
three cats with litters that she is holding on to for as long as she can.
Oklahoma
City will be starting a “community cat” program in the near future, but Norman
Animal Shelter does not have the money or veterinary staff to implement such a
program.
The staff
at the shelter thinks it would be a good thing to be able to do, but it does
not look like Norman will be able to implement such a program in the near
future.
The Norman
Animal Shelter will be improving it’s facilities and might be able to hold more
animals in the future, but it is still important for pet owners to be
responsible. Spay and neuter your pets.
Cages in the cat room at Norman Animal Shelter fill with cats in the summer.
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