SPCA News

Posted On January 29, 2014

Stephanie Kelley

We’ve made it through the first month of winter but baby, it’s still cold outside. A handsome silver tabby cat was found trying to take shelter under some vehicles in Aroostook. He was homeless, and the guy who found him couldn’t keep him, so Robert III, as the cat is now called, found warmth and safety at the SPCA Shelter.
 
Robert III is about a year old. He’s had all his needles, and has his appointment with the vet to be neutered next week.
He is a sweet and friendly cat who would love to go home with a new family!
 

Robert’s situation highlights an important issue….when it’s cold out like this cats will get inside the engine space or on the tires of recently parked cars to take warmth from the engine while it lasts. If you take a moment to bang your hood it will warn any hiding cats.
 

The “F” Family of cats came from some people in New Denmark who brought a litter of 8 tiny kittens to the shelter last summer and dropped them off. The kittens were just weaned, only 4 or 5 weeks old. Shelter volunteers named them Flynn, Fauna, Fiona, Fidget, Foster, Flora, Fanny and Frollo.
 

A couple of the cats with girl names turned out to be boys….they were so tiny when they were brought to the shelter that it was impossible to tell what gender they actually were, and once they were named, well…it just stuck!
 

These beautiful cats are now about 7 months old, have mid length fur and come in all different colours and patterns. They all have all their needles, and are, of course, spayed and neutered.
They are all friendly and affectionate, and are also all still at the shelter waiting for their forever homes, all 8 of them.
 

If you think you’d like to adopt a new cat into your life, these kitties are all fine candidates to be your new companion, or you can visit the shelter and meet the rest of the gang.
 

The adoption fee to take home one of these fine cats is only $100…. which is actually quite a bargain compared to what it costs to pay for shots, spaying or neutering and travel expenses yourself.
 

This is an example of something that happens all the time., people with unsprayed female cats use the shelter to “ethically” dispose of the litters of unwanted kittens their female cats give birth to 2 or 3 times a year. Unless she has died, the people who brought these kittens in probably still have the kittens’ mother, and she’s probably still not spayed. This vicious cycle can only be broken by spaying and neutering our pets!
 

Situations like this too are an enormous financial burden on the shelters. Not only are there vet costs to cover when these pets end up in the shelter to spay, neuter and vaccinate every one of them, many of these homeless cats end up as long time residents who need to be fed and cared for until they are adopted.
 

Spread the word…spay and neuter. The Arthurette Shelter is staffed by a small group of dedicated volunteers. They could use some help … if you have even a couple of hours a week to volunteer at the shelter you would be most welcome!
 

The shelter is open this winter Saturdays 11-3 and Sundays 11-2 or by appointment. Please call 356-1117 and leave a message if no one answers. Your call will be answered soon.
 

If you see or know of a case of animal abuse please call the SPCA Abuse Hotline at 1-877-722-1522. Leaving animals out in the cold is abuse, and leaving a dog chained outside in this weather is murder.
 

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Mahatma Gandhi