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Health & Fitness

It's Time to Let the Cat Out of the Bag

Donations are down, adoptions are down and intakes are on the rise! Please open your heart and home to a fancy feline in need!

We made it through the winter, through the spring and now we are into summer. There is one major season that is not on any calendar and that is kitten season!  Here we go again, kitten season is here!

Each year we go through kitten season, we hope that the following year there will be less.  Unfortunately, each year the numbers never seem to decrease, while the ailments and medical care always seems to increase.

Kitten season seemed to come a little later this year, but have no fear kitten season is here!

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I wonder if people outside the shelter and veterinarian world realize just how much of an impact unaltered cats have on the cat population. My guess is the average person is not aware of how quickly the population of cats increases when people do not spay and neuter.

 Some noted facts:

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  • An unspayed female cat can go into heat every three weeks.
  • One mother cat can produce about 18 kittens in one season.
  • A cat can begin having kittens as early as six months.
  • In sevent years one unspayed female cat and her kittens from the past can produce about 420,000 cats!

Do people in the City of Attleboro even know there is no ordinance in place for cats?  This means the care for each and every cat and kitten that walks through our shelter doors is the full responsibility of Friends of Attleboro Animal Shelter (FAAS).  It is our responsibility to fully vet all the felines, from the routine vaccinations (Distemper and Rabies), to the testing for Feline Leukemia and AIDS (Feleuk/FIV) right on down to the spaying and neutering.

Along with medically caring for each cat and kitten, it is also our job to socialize and nurture each and every paw. 

Do people realize that kittens do not stay at the shelter?  This is where our dedicated team of volunteers truly perform miracles through the gift of fostering. All kittens reside in volunteers' homes, where they are loved, cared for and socialized. When a kitten is old enough (approximately eight eeks), they then come to the shelter during adoption hours in hopes of finding a home to call their own.  Thank you to all who foster!

The sad part about kitten season is all our adult cats seem to take a back seat. Everyone wants the cute lil kittens and seems to forget about the wonderful adults. Each and every feline whether it is eight weeks old or eight years old, deserves a loving and caring home.  Could that home be with you? 

As of right now, FAAS has approximately 20 adult cats who are ready and waiting to be adopted by you! Right at this moment FAAS has about 25 kittens ranging in age from two weeks to four months who are preparing for their new journey in life.

Come on down during adoption hours and see which cat or kitten chooses you!  Remember Spaying and neutering saves lives!

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