June is Adopt-a-cat month

   To the editor:
    The American Humane Association has designated June as Adopt-A-Cat month. Why June? Because Shelters all over the country are inundated with cats in the spring and summer. Our Shelter is overflowing with cats needing new homes. The Houlton Shelter is currently “shut down” to owner admissions as we have no room to take in any more animals, other than the strays brought in by animal control. While we would like to help every family that has a crisis, every situation where there’s a need, there are limits to what we can do with the space and financial resources we have available to us.
    We would like to encourage you to consider adopting a shelter cat, they are already spayed and neutered, they’ve had their first set of shots, and are very healthy and social companions. The adoption fee is currently being waived for qualified adopters.
    If you are struggling financially and feeding your animals is an issue, please don’t dispose of them. There are programs that can help you. Many of the food pantries offer pet food and if yours doesn’t, call the shelter, we have people who will help you with the cost of pet food.
    If you have pets that are not spayed and neutered and need financial assistance, the Maine “Help Fix Me” program should be funded as of July 1st. You should submit your application now to be sure to receive a voucher for your pet’s surgery. Houlton Humane also has a spay/neuter loan program that you may apply.
    If you see a cat roaming in your neighborhood, do not assume it is a stray and try to bring it to the Shelter. Do not feed it; do not trap it on your porch. Just alert animal control and they will watch it and if it appears lost, ill, injured or otherwise in need, they will bring it to the Shelter. Not every cat walking up the street is a stray. Most are just out for a stroll and will go home, if not today, then tomorrow. Cats are “free roamers” – think of them just like birds, they fly here and there, free as the wind, and they are not “lost” just because they show up at your feeder every day.
    The number of homeless cats in American shelters is a national crisis. Only with your help can these deserving animals find forever homes. Please stop by the Shelter, take home a new kitty, or two, they will bring you years of unconditional love, companionship and entertainment.
Cathy Davis
Houlton Humane Society