Kitten crisis leads to free adoption

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Humane Society will host a “Feline Free Fur All” free cat adoption event Saturday, July 31.

Within a 24-hour period, AHS received four phone calls from different Central Texas animal shelters all asking for help with kittens.

Nearly 70 kittens will arrive at AHS Thursday and Friday to participate in the adoption event from Williamson County Regional Shelter, Bulverde Area Humane Society, Woodville Humane Society and the Town Lake Animal Center.

According to AHS executive director Frances Jonon, the kitten crisis - which may be an unintended consequence of the no-kill moratorium - has put AHS at over 200 percent its regular capacity for cats.

“Folks are thinking it’s a no kill shelter, when it's not," said Lisa Starr, spokeswoman for the Austin Humane Society. "And so they’ve seen an increase of cats.”

The organization is now calling on the community to adopt cats and kittens in need of homes by waiving the adoption fee for all shelter cats and kittens at the Saturday event.

""The Town Lake Animal Center has seen an increase of over 40-percent compared to this time last year the number of cats that they have," Starr said. "They don’t have enough room for them, and so yes these cats would not otherwise get adopted so we're making that a reality for them."

Approximately 150 cats and kittens will be available for free adoption.

Jonon said AHS is proud to be a resource for other shelters in need, but “it is only because of the generosity of our donors and the adoption support the Austin community has always shown that we are able to waive the adoption fees and encourage as many adoptions as we possibly can.”

Although speculation may arise that free cat adoptions could inspire some to adopt cats or kittens for possibly inhumane reasons, AHS public relations manager Lisa Starr said potential adopters still have to go through the regular adoption process and the organization can refuse adoption to anyone who does not meet the requirements.

According to Starr, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals condones free adoptions, and there is research to show that adopters are no less comitted to their pets than if they paid a fee.

The organization also has a call-back system which allows AHS to call and check in on those who adopted cats or kittens two weeks after the adoption to make sure all is going well.

AHS has hosted successful free adoptions before, according to Starr, in which only cats older than 5 years old were eligible for adoptions.

The Feline Free Fur All is set for noon to 7 p.m. at the Austin Humane Society adoption center .

Click here for additional information about adoptions , or call 512-685-0120.