Cats are overcrowding Huntsville Animal Services – here’s how to help

Huntsville Animal Services announced Thursday the shelter has stopped taking in cats, as the organization has too many already. The city is now taking measures to curb the flow of felines into the shelter.

The shelter has temporarily stopped accepting cats and kittens, dropped adoption fees for adult cats and reduced the cost to adopt kittens through Monday, Dec. 5. Here’s what’s going on:

Huntsville Animal Services needs help!

Animal Services has been overcrowded with cats and kittens since June, and the effects of long-term shelter life can be seen in the eyes of the kitties in their care. Specifically, a cold is going through the area of the shelter known as Cat World, causing cats to have weepy eyes, sneezing and runny noses.

So, if you have ever thought about getting a cat, now is a great time to do so, because the shelter needs to quickly adopt as many cats as possible so they can sanitize the cat room and break the cold’s cycle. Typically, animals recover much faster from illness when they are in a home rather than a shelter.

This is why the shelter desperately needs people to adopt or foster these cats.

All adoption fees for adult cats are waived and kittens are only $35. Animal Services will also provide any medications necessary to treat adopted cats who still have cold symptoms.

Why so many cats?

Why are so many cats at the Animal Services shelter? A decline in cat adoptions and rise in the number of surrendered cats has contributed to the current overcrowding, according to HAS director Dr. Karen Sheppard.

“Our plea is for people to come adopt a cat or kitten, and hold off on any cat trapping. We never want to deny services if we can help it, but this break is absolutely necessary to get the shelter cat population back to a manageable capacity.”

Dr. Karen Sheppard, director of Huntsville Animal Services

Adoptable pets are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and come with a city license and free bag of pet food. Those unable to adopt are asked to consider fostering an animal through the shelter’s foster program.

Click here to see photos, ages and descriptions of available animals. Located at 4950 Triana Blvd. SW, the shelter is open Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM; and Saturday, 9AM to 3PM.

Call 256-883-3783, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/Animal or check them out on Facebook or Instagram to learn more

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