Caught in a feline frenzy, pet shelters across the Valley and even a Mesa couple are hoping to find the “purr-fect” home for cats and kittens at affordable rates as the amount of homeless cats continues to increase.
Zoe, a 6-year-old black cat, was a good match for Shelly Shelton who was looking for a pet that already was trained through the Arizona Humane Society’s PAWS (Partnering Animals With Seniors) program.
Shelton, who lives in east Phoenix, said she adopted Zoe last week after seeing dozens of cats at the humane society’s shelter and selected her because she was an older cat.
“So far, so good,” Shelton said. “I liked her because she was calm, and a lot of seniors like me don’t want a younger cat, but want one that’s already trained and won’t tear up everything. Anything you can do to help an animal, it’s nice. It also helps people, too.”
Just recently, a Mesa man living in a mobile home park discovered a black cat that had been abandoned and was expecting kittens. After giving the expectant cat a place to stay in his small trailer, he’s looking to provide a home or homes for her kittens — a litter of seven.
Whether it’s at the Arizona Humane Society, HALO (Helping Animals Live On) Animal Rescue or Lost Our Home Pet Foundation, which works with real estate agents discovering abandoned pets in foreclosed homes, pet shelters and their volunteers who foster them are running out of room to keep them — if they haven’t run out of room already.
The Arizona Humane Society has 265 cats and kittens and 76 of them have not even made it to the adoption floor yet due to space limitations.
An Arizona Human Society spokeswoman told the Tribune that pet overpopulation in Maricopa County is second nationally only to Los Angeles County, and although pet population always increases this time of year, it’s higher now because nearly all pet shelters are overcrowded.
“If anyone has ever thought about opening their hearts or homes to pets, the summer months are critical,” said Bretta Nelson, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Humane Society. “The pet population always goes up this time of year, but this year has been just astronomical. There’s just boxes and crates all over the shelter filled with pets — and they’re just stacking up. It really, really is heartbreaking to see.”
“People really need to spay or neuter their pets,” Nelson added. "We’re literally overflowing with cats and kittens and it’s a direct result of the pet overpopulation.”
In addition to seeing an 11 percent increase in the number of pets it has taken in this year compared with two years ago, the Arizona Humane Society also has 62 “critters” (rabbits, gerbils, hamsters) it would like to place, Nelson said. The Arizona Humane Society took in 44,000 animals last year, averaging 121 a day.
So far this year, the Humane Society has taken in 9,311 cats and kittens and for its fiscal year which started Nov. 1, it has taken in 12,429 cats and kittens, according to information from the Arizona Humane Society.
HALO Animal Rescue is hoping that cat lovers will take advantage of its adoption special that it is holding for the next two months due to the cat population being up.
Lost Our Home Pet Foundation, an East Valley-based, no-kill pet rescue group that works with real estate agents who discover pets abandoned in foreclosed homes or yards, is “fostered to the fullest,” and looking to find permanent homes for dozens of cats and kittens. The pet fosters of that no-kill pet rescue has taken in all it can take, and has a three-month waiting list for pet owners who are trying to find temporary homes for their pets.
“We’re up to our foreheads in cats,” said Jodi Polanski, executive director of Lost Our Home Pet Foundation. “We’re really overwhelmed. This year, it’s been harder to find homes for cats, but it’s hard to tell whether the pet population is up this year, or if people just aren’t adopting cats. Cat adoptions are really down right now.”
Polanski said Lost Our Home has continued to see a problem with people leaving their pets behind when their home is foreclosed on, but there are options instead of leaving a domesticated animal to fend for itself.
“If you have to give up your pet, first see if you can find someone you know and trust who will keep it,” Polanski said. “If they can’t keep it, try the rescue shelters or groups.”
Polanski said that if the pet rescues are full and can’t house the pet, it would be best to pay a fee so the animal is taken in at Maricopa County Animal Control.
“Getting a pet placed in one of these places is much better than turning it loose on the street,” Polanski said.
• Contact writer: (480) 898-6533 or msakal@evtrib.com
wonderweenie posted at 4:28 pm on Sat, May 28, 2011.
Maricopa County is #2 in pet overpopulation yet it only has a half time director. What's wrong with this picture? It's shameful and appalling that we are not afforded the decency of a full time director. Silva only works there part time. He's asst. county manager. I say boot him out and get someone who can really manage the shelter.
SethCold posted at 8:15 am on Sun, May 29, 2011.
[sad] We have a hoard of cats running loose in the neighborhood, just sad, they defecate in the children play ground, and no one is taking responsibility for it. I know of one neighbor who owns some of the cats, and they are out all day, not sure if she lets them in during the day or if they are fixed or not, and keep populating.
Chrisxxx posted at 10:05 pm on Sun, May 29, 2011.
The saddist thing is that the cats are so innocent. People are so cruel not to have their pets neutered and/or spayed and then let them run wild outdoors. The animals will end up diseased or euthanized. So sad and unnecessary.
Player posted at 10:50 pm on Sun, May 29, 2011.
You people are the problem here..You give an animal more respect than you do a person. You feed them, provide them shelter and love all the while you do absolutely nothing about helping another human..When was the last time you a stranger a free meal or provided shelter for them? When was the last time you sat down and showed some compassion to someone in need?
You are all sickening and deserve to be overran by the problem that you have brought upon yourself. [beam]
aaarrrggghhh posted at 2:48 pm on Tue, May 31, 2011.
Contact the Spay-Neuter Hotline 602-265-7729 for help with trap-neuter-release of free-roaming feral cats. If you take a cat to AZ "Humane" Society, be aware of the fact that their euthanasia rate is higher than 60% (even more than Maricopa Animal Control). You're right, people are the problem. People want to complain about other animals "overpopulating" but no one says a word about too many humans, which is the REAL problem, for the entire planet. I look forward to the day there's a spay-neuter hotline for humans. Maybe you can be the first in line, player.
Mike1200 posted at 8:36 pm on Tue, May 31, 2011.
This is a sad situation. The outcome for most of those cats isn't going to be a good one. I would jump on the chance to take another kitten but we already have 5 cats which is more than enough.