Responsible Austin Pet Owners: If ever there was a time to adopt a cat, it is now (Fritch: new home)

[capcat]

1,800 cats or kittens are awaiting a home. Feline adoption fees are waived through today. Austin residents stepped up when this happened a few weeks ago with shelter dogs so, hopefully, people will help this time, too. Sad that people are told to just leave abandoned kittens if found. I have one shelter cat, and one that was found in a box with the rest of his litter. Both are absolute joys and I look forward to seeing them every day when work is done. If you can help with this, please do. Our population is growing, please help keep Austin no kill.
Animal Shelters address the issue of thousands of cats and kittens in the shelters | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin

[Misty Rose]

I'm at the limit of the cats I'm allowed to have in my apt, but I do agree with you. I have one shelter cat that I adopted earlier in the year and my other cat I adopted from a dying hospice patient. They're both wonderful cats.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Thank you for the information. We see lot's of cats around here too. I'm hearing they keep the rat and snake population down although some are caught by the big hawks, bobcats or coyotes. Too bad there isn't a cheaper way to spay and neuter them.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by Misty Rose

I'm at the limit of the cats I'm allowed to have in my apt, but I do agree with you. I have one shelter cat that I adopted earlier in the year and my other cat I adopted from a dying hospice patient. They're both wonderful cats.

I've never been a cat person, but these two kitties have changed all that. Never knew that could happen, and so fast. I was just giving them a home, not realizing they'd capture my heart so completely.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

Thank you for the information. We see lot's of cats around here too. I'm hearing they keep the rat and snake population down although some are caught by the big hawks, bobcats or coyotes. Too bad there isn't a cheaper way to spay and neuter them.

The article mentions www.emancipet.org as offering free or low cost spay/neuter services. Lots of good people donating time and resources, I appreciate what they're doing.

[AusParent]

We unintentionally became parents to several cats in the past few years: a kitten that wandered up to our business in an industrial neighborhood and the very last kitten from our last foster litter last summer with Austin Pets Alive. Cats are a lot of joy without a lot of maintenance. Now there are a bunch of kitties in need of some Austinite love.

Austin can visit the shelters mentioned in the articles:

Cat Adoption Events | Austin Pets Alive!

Animal Services | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin

Cat Adoption Events | Austin Pets Alive!

If you know of others, please add them to this thread. Ex.

Thundering Paws | Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary

Many pet stores host shelter events. Ex.

Cat Adoption Events | Austin Pets Alive!

Austin Pets Alive has a foster program which temporarily increases shelter space during the peak summer period:

Foster a Pet | Austin Pets Alive!

[capcat]

Thank you for adding information, AusParent. Seems there are events all over town. Makes it easy to find a pet that suits your personality. Can't believe how lucky we were to find our little guys. It was a perfect match.

[car957]

I just adopted a 10 year old tabby. Damn cat pulled on my heart strings at an adoption event when the coordinator explained no one wanted to adopt an older cat. Austin Pets Alive had her for 19 months before I adopted her. She has been home for about a month and she's settling in fine here at the garrison. She has no behavioral or health issues - instead she's just fairly independent animal that likes a little love, as well as the essentials.

I will recommend making a trip to the office supply store and purchasing double sided tape to place on the side of furniture since Fritch (her name) wanted to use fixed objects covered in fabric as her scratching post. It works very effectively.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by car957

I just adopted a 10 year old tabby. Damn cat pulled on my heart strings at an adoption event when the coordinator explained no one wanted to adopt an older cat. Austin Pets Alive had her for 19 months before I adopted her. She has been home for about a month and she's settling in fine here at the garrison. She has no behavioral or health issues - instead she's just fairly independent animal that likes a little love, as well as the essentials.

I will recommend making a trip to the office supply store and purchasing double sided tape to place on the side of furniture since Fritch (her name) wanted to use fixed objects covered in fabric as her scratching post. It works very effectively.

When I was young, I had a tabby that was an outside cat. One day, she pulled up stakes and moved down the street to the home of a man who was a retired Harley mechanic. I stopped to talk to him one day and told him I thought his cat had been mine. The look of fear on his face made me quickly tell him that I wasn't there to take her away, just to give him some history, such as how old she was, etc. He was clearly relieved and proceeded to tell me all about her, what he had named her, etc. Here was this gruff guy, talking about his cat with as much pride and enthusiasm as he would a prized motorcycle. I guess they were the perfect match, and she sensed it. She lived out the rest of her life with him. She'd come back and visit us every now and then, but head back to her new home in a few minutes. At this point in my life, I'm a different person as a pet owner, but that taught me something about both people and animals.