The Central Aroostook Humane Society does everything possible to encourage having animals fixed (spayed or neutered).
Fixed, or altered, animals are less likely to develop certain cancers and other health problems.
Generally, fixed animals are calmer, better behaved and less likely to wander around looking for a mate. Unfortunately, when cats wander away from home, they often encounter cars and a beloved pet is lost.
Unaltered male cats spray and female cats in heat are known for yowling which isn’t very pleasant to hear. Male dogs will mark their territory with urine and females will howl, and often fighting among animals is common. Fixing an animal will take care of these problems.
We try very hard to promote responsible pet ownership. There is nothing sadder than seeing stray cats in our community. Often they are hungry and sick and sometimes pregnant. Of course, many of these become shelter residents, and we try to find them good homes. It is very sad seeing these homeless kitties that are so loving and just want a forever home.
A cat can have babies as young as four months old. The average litter number is six, and a cat can have two litters a year. In two and a half years, as the cat and her offspring keep breeding, they could produce more than 2,000 kittens. This could have been avoided if the cat had been spayed. Unfortunately, many of these cats are among an estimated 6 to 8 million animals entering animal shelters each year. As we know, there are not enough homes for all of these animals. Spaying and neutering is the only way to prevent this very serious and sad overpopulation.
At the Central Aroostook Humane Society, there is no time limit as to how long we keep animals. We never give up on finding every animal the perfect home. Over the years we have had some residents for a year or more. Please know they receive lots of care and even more love from the staff, the board and volunteers.
Please visit us to find your new family member. Many of our animals have been altered. If they haven’t been, there is a $100 refundable deposit required plus the adoption fee. Once there is proof of altering, the $100.00 fee is returned to you. Please visit us, and our staff will be glad to show you around and answer any questions you might have. Some folks visit us two or three times before they adopt.
We are pretty proud of our shelter and its residents, and we like visitors to stop by as often as possible. We are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closing for lunch from 12 to 12:30. Check us out on Facebook to keep up with the shelter happenings.
Carolyn L. Cheney is a member of the Central Aroostook Humane Society’s board of directors.
