09/11/2026
🐾 32 CATS. IN JUST THREE DAYS. 🐾
From Tuesday through Thursday, our office spoke with multiple members of our community who needed assistance with cats they have been caring for in colonies, as well as cats that had been dumped or abandoned on their properties.
32 cats in three days.
And that number doesn’t even include one large colony we were contacted about because the colony spans several blocks and there are simply too many cats to accurately count.
This is the reality of cat overpopulation in our community.
🐱 Our shelter has 10 cat cages.
That’s it.
We currently have 11 cats in our care, and we also have to maintain space for animals that legally must be impounded or quarantined — including cats involved in bite cases or other situations where a mandatory quarantine is required.
When our cages are full, we don’t have an unlimited amount of space to simply keep accepting additional cats.
And when we have to tell someone, “We are full,” that is an incredibly difficult conversation.
When a shelter reaches capacity, there are sometimes situations where an animal cannot be safely admitted because there is nowhere appropriate to house it. Unfortunately, that can mean difficult outcomes.
We don’t take those decisions lightly. Our staff cares deeply about every animal that comes through our doors, and being at capacity is one of the most frustrating and heartbreaking parts of this job.
💔 So what can we do?
Prevention is the answer.
Spaying and neutering cats is one of the most effective ways our community can reduce the number of unwanted kittens, abandoned cats, and overcrowded colonies.
We have worked throughout the year to provide TNR/TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Return/Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) services whenever possible.
Last year, we were fortunate enough to have a veterinarian who was able to provide several dedicated spay/neuter days for our community. Through those opportunities, we were able to help sterilize more than 250 cats.
Unfortunately, that veterinary service is no longer available to us.
Veterinary shortages affect animal shelters, rescues, private pet owners, and community cat programs alike. We now have to schedule surgeries through veterinary clinics just like everyone else, which means appointments are limited and often scheduled weeks in advance.
🐾 This is why community involvement matters.
If you are caring for a community cat colony, please don’t wait until the colony becomes unmanageable. Start working toward spaying and neutering as early as possible.
If you are feeding outdoor cats, consider becoming an organized colony caretaker and keeping track of which cats have been sterilized.
If you find a stray or dumped cat, please understand that bringing the cat to the shelter is not always the only solution — especially when the shelter is already at capacity.
And if you are able to help with trapping, transportation, fostering, or colony management, your involvement can make an enormous difference.
Animal control, shelters, rescues, veterinarians, colony caretakers, and the public all have a role to play.
We cannot solve cat overpopulation by ourselves.
But together, through education, responsible ownership, spay/neuter, TNR/TNVR, fostering, and community involvement, we can make a difference.
🐱 32 cats in three days is a lot. But it is also a reminder of why prevention matters so much.
Spay. Neuter. Prevent. Educate. ❤️🐾
