GREENFIELD — Cats and kittens can be adopted for $10 this week — an incentive aimed at opening space at a shelter nearing its capacity for the animals.
Greenfield-Hancock Animal Management, 809 S. State St., is nearing its capacity for cats and kittens. On Friday, the facility was housing 57 cats. Every room used to shelter cats is full, said director Amanda DeHoney.
The facility can house about 80 cats, but that requires putting spare cages in an already cramped space. Management officials say they want to try to avoid reaching capacity so they can continue taking in cats.
To combat overcrowding, the city-owned shelter is holding an adoption special through Friday. Cat and kitten adoptions will be reduced from $25 to $10, and families looking to adopt a furry friend are encouraged to stop in.
The adoption fee covers spay or neuter procedures, basic vaccines, microchipping, deworming and a flea treatment.
Shelters across the country are likely seeing an uptick in the number of stray cats brought to the facility with the onset of kitten season, officials said. At animal management, staff members are preparing for more cats and kittens to need shelter in coming weeks.
Kitten season typically starts in spring and ends in fall, and animal shelters begin to overflow with kittens in early summer, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Before families can adopt a cat or kitten at animal management, they must fill out an adoption application, said office manager Debbie Harris. The application process will be reviewed by shelter employees before any animals can be adopted, she said.
The process can take a few days, she said.
The process helps ensure cats and kittens go to good, loving homes, she said.
Last summer, cat numbers peaked at the shelter in late August. At the time, the shelter had taken in more than 100 cats and kittens and had resorted to sending some to foster homes until they could be adopted.
Any cat that leaves the shelter gets spayed or neutered, DeHoney said, as that’s the only way to combat population problems, she said.
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Greenfield-Hancock Animal Management is offering an adoption special through Friday. The adoption fee for cats and kittens is reduced from $25 to $10.
To adopt a cat, visit the shelter, 809 S. State St., between 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For more information, call 317-477-4367.
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