Spring is a time of twitterpation.
This can mean the SPCAs, garage sale sites, and Kijiji being loaded with kittens looking for a good home.
Wanda Price at the Humboldt SPCA says this year has not been bad so far with a few litters coming in.
This time of year in previous year’s have been far worse, she says, including the springs of 2016 and 2017.
She is seeing posts for free kittens on both the Facebook garage sale sites and kijiji, but it might be too early to tell, she says.
If more kitten litters are coming in later in the month, Price says there is no way to prepare for it.
The Humboldt SPCA does not have the space, says Price, so there is very little they can do except keep encourage people, including farmers, to spay and neuter their animals.
Besides for population control, Price says that there are other benefits to spaying and neutering.
“A lot of people are realizing on the farm that their cats actually stick around and they live longer when they’re spayed and neutered. They don’t go too far because they don’t have to.”
On farms where cats are used for hunting mice, Price says even if they are well-fed, they will still hunt for sport.
While kittens on garage sale sites and kijiji may be free, animals purchased at the SPCA are vaccinated, spayed or neutered, de-wormed, and health checked and can be adopted for $100, says Price.
“People would still rather get them off garage sale sites and kijiji. Everything is just full of them.”
The SPCA is looking forward to the summer with a handful of events coming up.
They have had some rather large vet bills recently, says Price, so initial fundraising efforts will go towards those bills before possible going to other bills and the building fund.
The goal for a new building is set at $200,000 with the organization currently sitting at $180,000.
With more help, they could reach their goal by the end of the summer, says Price.
