This time of the year is a rush at Kitsap Humane Society. It’s still a very busy time for the shelter thanks to the flood of felines we typically take in this time of year.

During the months of June through September this year, we provided shelter and care for more than 900 homeless cats and kittens! This number surpassed the amount of felines we took in over the first five months of the year. As summer rolls into fall, this year our numbers are still topping the charts.

Our intake numbers are already up 18 percent for stray cats and an astounding 240 percent for kittens. Running adoption specials helps keep our feline population manageable, safe and healthy. This weekend we are running a Cat Crazy Adoption Special, during which we are waiving adoption fees for all cats over 1 year old. Over the weekend we are hoping to find homes for more than 40 cats. 

Even amid the “frenzy,” we are continuing our rigorous adoption screening process. We’re confident these felines are finding their forever homes. We plan to continue offering similar adoption specials in an effort to keep our cat census in check. We welcome you to stop by the shelter during Feline Fridays when you can adopt an adult cat for only a $30 Microchip fee– for a limited time only!

As we’ve advertised these specials, members of the public have raised some questions about fee-waived adoptions. So we would like to take the opportunity to dispel a few myths surrounding adoption specials.

Myth: Offering fee-waived adoptions or “free” cats increases the odds animals will go to unsuitable homes.
Fact: Studies have shown that “eliminating adoption fees does not devalue the animals in the eyes of the adopter.” The price an adopter pays for a cat does not determine how well it is cared for and loved. By offering fee-waived or reduced adoption fees when the cat population at the shelter is high, we’re able remain competitive with other sources people use to obtain pets. After all, many people find cats as strays or acquire them on online or through friends.

Myth: Shelter overcrowding leads to a higher euthanasia rate.
Fact: Not at Kitsap Humane Society. We have steadily maintained a 6 percent euthanasia rate, as there are many reasons why euthanasia may be the most humane option for an animal. These circumstances can include medical and behavioral issues that cannot be treated in a shelter environment. Per our policy, euthanasia because of lack of space is not an acceptable option.

Myth: Adopting black cats during the month of October is a bad idea.
Fact: This Article from Best Friends Animal Society sums it up. “There is no evidence that adopting black cats around Halloween poses any greater risk to the pets than adopting them at any other time of the year. In most shelters, black cats are the last to be adopted, so saddling them with the additional baggage of taking them off the adoption floor for up to a month or more before Halloween makes no sense. We need to promote the adoption of more cats all year round, black ones included. “