Despite these gloomy days, it’s supposedly the beginning of summer, which for a lot of people on the Central Coast means sunshine, warm temperatures, and days spent at the beach. However, to animal shelters and other organizations, the onset of summer means the beginning of kitten season. As adorable as that may sound, it can be a problem.
“Cats don’t typically give birth when it’s cold because it’s dangerous for the kittens,” Santa Maria Valley Humane Society Community Engagement Director Matt Chan said. “So that’s why you start to see kittens born in March and then by June all of these kittens are ready for adoption.”
To accommodate this influx of kittens, shelters may have to euthanize older, adult cats that have been in the shelter for a while. In an effort to avoid this, nationwide many shelters, including the local Humane Society, run no-cost adoption programs for adult cats throughout June, Chan said.
While the Humane Society never euthanizes animals, meaning cats and dogs stay until they are adopted, shelters run by cities and counties—including the county animal shelter on Foster Road in Santa Maria—are required to take in animals, which may force them to euthanize others to make space.
Many of the animals the Humane Society houses are pulled from the shelter on Foster Road and other city- and county-owned shelters in the area. Chan said every time somebody adopts from the Humane Society, it frees up space for another animal.
“When you do adopt a cat, you can think of it as really rescuing two cats, because when you adopt from here, we can go save one from an at-risk shelter and bring that cat here, so you’ve helped out two lives,” Chan said.
Normally Santa Maria Valley Humane Society’s adoption fees range from $65 to $80 for adult cats, with kittens costing about $125. While the adoption fees may not always be the reason people don’t adopt, Chan said, waiving the fee removes at least one barrier.
Residents can adopt cats directly from the Humane Society on Stowell Road, at Petco on Betteravia Road, and at PetSmart on Bradley Road. All of which house cats for adoption from the Humane Society.
Chan said the adoption process is easy. Instead of requiring prospective pet parents to fill out stacks of paperwork, the Humane Society just wants to make sure to find a good fit for both the human and the cat.
“They need to spend time with the cat and get to know the cat,” Chan said. “We want to make sure the cat is bonding with the person and vice versa.”
Highlight
• The city of Santa Maria is taking seventh through 12th graders on hikes in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties during the city’s Summer Teen Trails event. Each hike costs $10, which covers lunch and transportation to and from each trail. The first hike was held on June 18, with the remaining hikes taking place on July 9, July 23, and Aug. 6. Participants must register and sign a waiver online or in person prior to the hike. For more information, visit cityofsantamaria.org.
Staff Writer Zac Ezzone wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 20-27, 2019.
