Washington County Animal Shelter Promotes Cat Adoption During Cat-A-Thon | WJHL

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee (WJHL) – If you’re looking for the ‘perfect purr’ companion, the Washington County, Tennessee Animal Shelter wants you to stop by during their Cat-A-Thon this month.

According to director Tammy Davis, more than 250 cats and kittens are currently in their care. Not all of these cats are up for adoption; some are in the kitten nursery and are too young to be adopted while others are in foster homes.

Not only is it kitten season, but they have seen a huge increase in the number of animals that have entered the shelter this year compared to last year, according to Davis.

Davis said she was not sure why they had seen such a large increase, but believed it could be partly due to the pandemic. She said people may adopt pets more often when they are at home, but as they have returned to work, they feel like they don’t have time to take care of them. ‘animal.

She encourages people to not only consider adopting kittens, but also to keep adult cats in mind. When you meet an older cat at the shelter, you will be able to see their personality, whether they are chatty, playful, or calm. Davis said there are other benefits to adopting adolescent and adult cats as well.

“By adopting an adult cat, they tend to be a bit calmer,” Davis said. “They might be less likely to climb on your curtains, jump on the counter and things like that.”

However, regardless of the cat’s age, she wants people to remember that this is a lifelong commitment and you need to prepare accordingly. Not just with necessities like food and water bowls and litter boxes, but also ways to keep your cat entertained.

“We can’t stress enough having scratching posts throughout the house,” Davis said. “To have a high place because cats like to be high. Give them a place where they can feel comfortable looking out the window. They are less likely to jump on your countertop if they have high places where they can climb high.

During Cat-A-Thon, adult cats can be adopted for $ 15 and kittens for $ 30. These fees cover sterilization / sterilization, vaccinations and the microchip.

While waiting for the cats to be adopted, it takes a lot to care for all the animals, so they are asking for donations.

Davis said they cleaned the kennels every day. They ask for laundry detergent, dish detergent and other cleaning supplies. Supplies can be dropped off at the shelter or purchased from the shelter’s Amazon Wish List.

It’s not just the cats that fill the shelter; there are also over 85 dogs for adoption. These adoption fees are $ 35.

They have certain requirements for adoption, especially if you already have another dog in your home.

“One of the things that we encourage and demand is that you put this dog down, so if you find a dog here that you want to adopt, we can see how they interact,” Davis said. “You want to protect your home from dogs; if you have a fence you want to make sure your fence is secure, and go ahead and get all the supplies you need to make them happy homes.

Getting pets up for adoption is crucial in creating space in the shelter for more animals in need. The shelter needs empty kennels available to accommodate the dozens of additional animals they are expecting in the coming weeks.

If you find a stray animal or need to abandon your pet, Davis said to call the shelter first as there are several steps to go through. For animals thought to be stray, she said to stop and think first.

If the animal, especially cats, appear well groomed and friendly to humans, it is probably not a stray animal but simply a stray animal doing its own thing. As for discounts, Davis said this can only be done by appointment as they need to make sure they have space for the animal.

If you want more information about the Cat-A-Thon or how to help the refuge, click here.