AUGUSTA — Looking for some cats to add to the family?
Plenty of the furry creatures are available — adoption fees waived for the next three months — through the local animal shelter, the Kennebec Valley Humane Society.
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In fact, Trouble, Furlicity, Theo, Java and Rona await new homes. But Mercedes has been waiting the longest.
Mercedes has been at the Pet Haven Lane shelter since January.
“She’s become a real sweetheart,” said the executive director Hillary Roberts, the society’s executive director. “She’s been here so long everyone’s rooting for her.”
Normally adoption fees are $75 for cats and $100 for kittens up to six months of age. The fees remain at $100 for adopting kittens because there’s no shortage of potential adoptive families, and the length of stay for kittens is much shorter than for adult cats.
However, because of the abundance of felines, the shelter is waiving the fees for adult cats now through September.
Also, all the adopted cats will receive a free microchip that will allow for quick reunification in case the animal is lost. The microchip implant usually costs $25.
Last year, the fee-free cat adoptions were offered only in July.
“This is by far the longest promotion we’ve ever done,” Roberts said.
Some 55 cats available for adoption have created a space crunch, and more cat and kittens have been placed with foster homes, Roberts said Monday. A number of others are awaiting spaying, neutering or space available.
“This will alleviate the pressure this busy season puts on us,” Roberts said. “The hope is to get more cats into homes and save more lives of cats that come in. It’s also an opportunity to make some new relationships with folks that wouldn’t ordinarily be adopting with us.”
The shelter is averaging five intakes of cats a day, but some of those cats come with kittens. “This is absolutely our busy time,” Roberts said.
Cats available for adoption also are placed at satellite locations: Pet Smart, Pet Life (formerly the Kennel Shop), Aubuchon Hardware, and Camden National Bank branches on Civic Center Drive, Augusta, and in Gardiner.
As for canines, the shelter has five dogs available for adoption, The length of stay for dogs is rarely more than a few weeks, Roberts said. Soon more will be available when the shelter gets some dogs from other parts of the country.
And there are only three pocket pets awaiting adoption: three bunnies.
Adopting families are given a list of participating veterinarians who offer free an initial health exam for animals adopted from the shelter.
More information is available at www.pethavenlane.org and on Facebook.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
badams@centralmaine.com
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