Hundreds of felines waiting for new homes at King County Animal Care and Control

Residents looking for a new furry friend will have lots of cats to choose from this month at the King County Animal Shelters, located in Kentand Bellevue.  June is national Adopt-a-Shelter Cat month and King County Animal Care and Control (KCACC) wants to match up as many homeless felines as possible with loving new owners.

Summer is typically the busiest time year for all animal shelters as the weather warms up and animals begin to have litters. With so many adorable kittens on hand, adoptable adult cats can go unnoticed and their average length of stay in a shelter is much longer than kittens or small breed dogs.

Also, cats coming into King County Animal Care and Control far outnumber adoptable dogs. Last summer (June-August 2007), the shelters received 2,328 incoming cats, compared to 1,289 dogs and this summer is shaping up to be another busy one: shelter staff are already seeing a dramatic increase in the number of cats waiting for a new home. So the call has gone out to volunteers to serve as foster parents and organize adoption promotions to alleviate seasonal overcrowding.

“Young animals always tug at your heartstrings but adult cats are often a better fit for most busy households,” says King County Animal Care and Control Acting Manager Al Dams. “They’re mature, affectionate, respond well to training, and are lower maintenance than the average dog or kitten, making it a much more seamless family addition for the cat and its new family.”

As part of the effort to find all shelter animals forever homes, King County is organizing the third annual Super Pet Adopt-a-thon on Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the grounds of the Kent animal shelter. This “super” adoption event involves over 20 animal adoption groups from around the state, bringing adoptable pets to Kent in one convenient location. There will also be dog trainers, animal accessory retailers and other animal-related organizations on site. Families are encouraged to stop by. People can also bring their own pets to be micro-chipped for a small fee.

Proceeds from a silent auction will be added to the donations in the County’s Angel Fund, which provides medical care and pays veterinary expenses for abused, sick or injured animals in the King County animal shelters, or in designated foster homes. The Super Pet Adopt-a-thon is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about animal care and find at least one great furry member of the family to adopt.