Did you know that one female cat can give birth to multiple kittens, ranging from one to seven, within a gestation cycle? Due to this, an estimated 20 million kittens will be born this year globally. This is the sole reason shelters worldwide need volunteers like you to help with community cat programs and initiatives. In educating the general public about TNR (tag-neuter-release) programs and feline diseases and helping manage cat colonies, animal advocates can eliminate the overcrowding in shelters and unwanted pregnancies and prevent unnecessary euthanasia.
The best way to volunteer is to become active in fostering these animals. According to The Humane Society of the United States, it is suggested that only 8% of households in the U.S. foster dogs and cats out of the 6.3 million companion animals that enter U.S. shelters yearly. Out of the 6.3 million companion animals estimated, stray cats and kittens make up most of this staggering number.
Most of these felines enter the shelters during ‘Kitten Season,’ which begins at the end of spring. ‘Kitten Season’ is the time of year when shelters worldwide are inundated with kittens and pregnant females due to the warmer weather and increased breeding among stray cats.
With this wave of animals, shelters experience many challenges, including limited space, staff, and budgets. As more animals enter the doors, day-to-day operations are continually shifted to meet the needs of a shelter’s newest resident(s). Therefore, it is important that we, as citizens, uphold our civic duty and responsibility to help these organizations.
Making a difference doesn’t have to be difficult; it only involves simple acts of stewardship and compassion to help the smallest or largest of lives.
TCWR Partners with our local shelter, Good Shepherd Humane Society, here in Eureka Springs, to promote adoptable animals. We encourage all of our supporters to reach out to their local animal shelters to see how they can help animals in their local communities.
