Kitten Season in Minnesota

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This, sadly, is what they call kitten season. It's the time of year between May and September, when cats reproduce so many kittens that animal shelters can't keep up. And this year, the problem is outpacing normal years. At the Tri-County Humane Society in St. Cloud, they expect to take in nearly 3,000 homeless cats this summer. In the Twin Cities, the Animal Humane Society's five branches will take in a total of 10,000. "There are a lot of cats out there," said Vicki Davis, the executive director of the St. Cloud shelter. "People aren't investing the money in their outdoor cats, to have them spayed or neutered, and those are the cats that are reproducing at alarming rates." It means some sick cats won't make it, because treatment rooms fill up and doctors don't want infections to spread. "Those cats we will have to euthanize, unless we can find foster homes for them, which we are trying to do," Davis said. She said the Tri-County Humane Society euthanized 26 cats in June. Humane societies say it's not a problem with dogs, who get adopted quicker and whose owners are better about spaying and neutering. Cats, however, come with incentives during the summer -- like two-for-one discounts on adoption and sales on certain colors. Shelters also are looking for foster homes to keep a cat or two until the winter, when the kitten supply shrinks. "Please go to a shelter and adopt a cat - or two," Davis said. For more information: Tri-County Humane Society (St. Cloud): http://tricountyhumanesociety.org/ Animal Humane Society (Twin Cities): http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/doublethelove AHS cat fostering program: http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/missionmeow
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