May marks start of dreaded kitten season
Area shelters are overflowing with kittens this time of year
BY KAREN FELDMAN Correspondent

PHOTO LEE COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES The number of homeless cats and kittens turned in to animal services soars every May.

Seven tiny black-and-white kittens huddle in two little clusters in a metal carrier behind the reception desk at Lee County Animal Services.

They haven't yet opened their eyes and the mother cat isn't with them. Too small to eat on their own, in need of round-the-clock feedings and medical attention, they will soon be euthanized. The shelter already overflows with larger, healthier animals that have no homes. There's no room or manpower left for fragile little ones.

This is the grim reality of kitten season.

The number of homeless cat and kittens turned in to the animal services department soars every May as unsterilized cats breed at a furious pace. In all, more than 8,100 cats landed at animal services last year. Of those 72 were claimed by owners, 954 were adopted and 6,822 had to be euthanized. Those numbers climb every year.

"A cat can have up to three litters a year, with six to 10 kittens each," says Ria Brown, the agency's public information specialist. "Within six months, the kittens are old enough to breed themselves. It's a vicious cycle that continually gets worse because we can't possibly find homes for that many cats."

COURTESY PHOTO Animal shelters are inundated with kittens and cats every May. Last year, more than 8,100 turned up at animal services in Lee County. The vast majority of them had to be euthanized.

Private groups, such as the Gulf Coast Humane Society, Animal Refuge Center and countless cat-loving individuals also struggle to find homes but supply always exceeds demand.

Cape Coral resident Nancy Taylor quit her job as a legal assistant to form the non-profit organization, 4 Paws Pet Rescue. Seven days a week she makes the rounds of colonies of feral (wild) cats, trapping them, having them tested for disease and sterilized. She finds homes for as many as she can and returns some to the colony they came from if it's in a safe location. Between her home and those of foster families, she's currently caring for close to 60 cats and kittens.

Why does she do it?

"Because there's a need and because I'm damn good at it," she says. She knows there aren't enough homes, but she's determined to place as many as she can.

Brown urges all pet owners to have their animals sterilized and keep them at home. Animal services will issue citations to people who let their animals run loose.

"People need to realize that even if you could find enough foster homes and shelters to take these animals, it's still not going to get them homes," she says. "There aren't enough. If you don't get cats spayed and neutered, this problem is only going to get worse. Everyone has to be part of the solution."
To adopt:
Cats adoptions are $30 during June at Lee
County Animal Services. The price includes
sterilization, among other things. Call
432-2983 or go online at www.leelostpets.
com. To reach Nancy Taylor, call 292-2474 or
online at 4pawspetrescue.com.

  Spay/neuter: All private veterinary clinics
offer sterilization services. Pet owners who

cannot afford to pay full price can contact
Affordable Spay/Neuter in North Fort Myers
at 652-0596. Lee County Animal Service's
new mobile spay/neuter center also performs
low-cost procedures for those who qualify. Call
489-2353 or go online at www.leelostpets.com.