June is Adopt a Cat Month

It can be a matter of life and death.

Photos by Dexter Phoenix

(SALEM, Ore.) - I am sitting on my couch watching a bounding nine-week old kitten race around my living room. Bouncing on things and attacking everything in sight.

He is an orange tabby with blue eyes and long fuzzy kitten hair. He is absolutely, irresistibly adorable. And he will probably be euthanized within two weeks.

His name is Bosco.

He was brought to me on Friday by my sister. He belongs to my five-year old niece.

Bosco weighs 11 ounces. At his age he should weigh around 2 lbs. He is completely emaciated and tested positive for feline leukemia.

Although my hopes are surrounding him I am not writing about Bosco.

I am writing about the thousands of other cats who will find their untimely death in a shelter or veterinary office somewhere in our community this year.

Photos by Dexter Phoenix Salem-News.com

June is adopt a cat month for the Humane Society of the United States.

Its timing coincides with the time of year referred to as “kitten season” by those of us in the animal welfare field. In the spring and summer young and old alike come together to do what nature urges them to do - breed. And cats are exceptional breeders.

It may be a nuisance to hear the cats howling throughout the nights all summer long. What is more than annoying, however, are the statistics.

Hypothetically, one female cat can produce roughly 11,800 cats in just five years - if she has 2 litters a year and 2.8 surviving kittens per litter. Also, a female cat can produce a litter at just 5 months of age.

For the year of 2008-2009 the Willamette Humane Society euthanized 4,521 cats. This is the number remaining after cats were re-united with family, adopted, or transferred. Please don’t let your cat become a statistic!

Spay or neuter your cat! There are many veterinary offices in the area that offer specials for spay and neuter surgery. The Willamette Humane Society also has a low cost spay and neuter clinic.

Save a life, spay and neuter!

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Amanda Leduc is Originally from B.C., Canada. She moved to the United States in 1992, and has always had a passion for writing, animals and the environment. Amanda has worked in customer service, Veterinary Clinics and for a local Animal Shelter. She hopes to use these skills as a writer and her passion for animals and the environment to spread the word about the pet over-population epidemic in our community and across the country. She also hopes to address environmental issues locally and nationally, especially the decline in native species due to habitat destruction and invasive species. Amanda is currently studying to complete an Associates of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology.

You can write to Amanda through our newsroom email address, newsroom@salem-news.com