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Local animal shelters see an increase in feline population

T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Both the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown and Diamond in the Ruff Rescue have reported an increase in cats and kittens being brought in for care and placement, due to the springtime boom in the feline birth rate. Pictured is Rascal, a cat available for adoption from the ARL, playing with staff member Michelle Dvorak.

Springtime brings with it the joys of warmer weather, fresh produce and recreational opportunities, but it also sees a spike in the feline birth rate.

Both the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown and Diamond in the Ruff Rescue have reported an increase in cats and kittens being brought in for care and placement.

“There are two seasons we see more cats brought to us: in the spring because of the kitten boom and in the fall when people think it’s too cold outside for cats to be outdoors,” said Shelly Deal, director of the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown. “We’re not at capacity, but we will be soon. Kittens put a strain on our resources.”

When an adult feline is brought to the ARL, it must be held for a period of three days before it is eligible for adoption. However, a kitten needs to be at least eight weeks old and weigh two pounds or more before it is suitable for a new home.

“We have plenty of kittens, but they won’t be available until the summer and fall,” Deal noted.

A key reason why kittens (and pregnant cats) are brought in is because the people who find them outside fear for their well-being, or can’t afford the costs associated with their care.

“I get what people are thinking, but when you see kittens outside, a mama cat is usually nearby, maybe hunting for food or moving her litter somewhere else, and she can only move one kitten at a time,” Deal said. “Don’t assume the kittens have been abandoned. Watch them for a while – from a distance – and see if the mother comes back, or if any of the kittens are crying or are injured. If you take that mama cat away [to a shelter], you’ve just separated her from the kittens.”

Lisa Tichy, co-founder of Diamond in the Ruff Rescue, which primarily serves Marshall and Tama counties, voiced similar observations.

“There’s nothing wrong with outside cats; it’s something we have to learn to live with, and we encourage people to trap, neuter and release cats to help with overpopulation,” she said. “We at Diamond in the Ruff are doing this to help with the problem.”

Currently, Diamond in the Ruff is experiencing an increase in the number of kittens being brought in to its team of volunteer fosters (it has no central headquarters).

“We took in a pregnant mom who had seven kittens, then two abandoned kittens came in. This is a lot of work for the person doing the fostering and for the cat [nursing the kittens],” Tichy explained. “We charge $40 to adopt out a cat, but it costs us well over $100 in care. These nine kittens alone are going to cost us $1,000.”

At the ARL, resources are also scarce. Deal took to social media, asking for donations of non-clumping cat litter, as well as dry cat food and pate canned food.

Deal and Tichy said there are ways people can help counter the swelling cat birth rate.

“We know people feed stray cats, but then when we ask them to consider spaying and neutering, they say ‘it isn’t my cat.’ But in a way, it is your cat,” Deal said. “If you live in a neighborhood where a large amount of cats are living, talk to your neighbors and make it a joint effort to pay for the spaying and neutering. Outdoor cats serve a good purpose – they keep the rodent population down.”

Deal noted that when adult cats are adopted out from her facility, it allows for more space and resources for the younger felines being brought in this season.

“It only costs $25 to adopt a cat through us, and it frees up room here,” she said.

The ARL has cat traps available for people to use who are interesting in trap, neuter and release.

For more information, contact the ARL at 641-753-9046. Diamond in the Ruff Rescue may be reached at 515-808-BARK.

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Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at (641) 753-6611 or sjordan@timesrepublican.com

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