Ten long haired, grey and grey tabby kittens play clumsily with one another and climb on top of their two mothers in a Protecting Animal Life Society (PALS) foster home. Fluffy, cuddly kittens grow up to become cats with varied personalities so this is something to consider before committing to a kitten who seems just too cute to resist. Little kittens grow up to be large cats and have a lifespan of 15 or more years.
The two mothers have already been spayed. They are well socialized with one another having been raised together, and their combined 10 kittens nurse from either of them due to the bond that they all share. PALS is seeking loving, committed owners during the next few weeks. They rely solely on the availability of local foster homes to provide care and socialization to the pets that they take in. PALS is operated only by volunteers and they have no shelter building.
“We want to see an end to the cruel cycle of unwanted cats,” stated Linda Kendall, treasurer and spokesperson for the local animal rescue association. “For some reason, it is still considered an option to treat cats as a throwaway pet, but this should not be the case.”
One female cat can produce between 100-400 viable offspring inside of seven years. Cats are far more likely to be in need than any other type of pet, comprising 95 per cent of the animals served by the foundation.
PALS wants the public to know having your cat spayed or neutered as early as possible will have a huge impact on population. For animals who are altered at five months, or on your vet’s recommendation, this ensures that they will never reproduce because cats can start bearing young as early as six months of age. The rescue is attempting to curb production of unwanted cats by reducing the amount of kittens produced and are doing what they can to help people achieve this.
Partnering with local vets, PALS offers the Low Income Assistance Program, designed to cover 60 per cent of the cost of a typical spay or neuter at Nakusp Veterinary Clinic, who donate their portion of the surgery. Applications are available online.
To apply to adopt any of the available pets currently seeking homes or for help with having your pets spayed and neutered, visit the PALS website at www.pals-online.ca.