Navin might not be able to hear you say the words, “I love you,” but you’ll surely get his attention when you wave a birdie toy above his head. The deaf Turkish Angora cat was returned by his family in Puyallup because they found they were too busy to take on a pet full-time.
Navin is just one of the many felines waiting for a home at Meow Cat Rescue in Kirkland. The no-kill rescue destination has run out of room to shelter, and until the old kittens come out, the new ones cannot come in and have a chance at finding a new family, said manager Marilyn Hendrickson.
“Our waiting list for returns is out to the end of October,” Hendrickson said.
Right now, the shelter is trying to find families for more than 250 felines. Director Bonne Vevea said they’re seeing a big increase in people giving up their cats this year because the animals are “unfortunately (like people) the victims of the recession.” It’s a national trend that more people have been willing to relinquish their animals, said Vevea.
Meow has seen owners give up pets because the family is not able to move into a place that accepts pets, she explained.
And the recession has caused some owners to neglect spaying or neutering their pets because it’s expensive. Three-year-old Jewel’s owners returned her to MEOW after she had a kitten.
“It’s just the perfect storm of bad circumstances for animals,” Vevea said. “I do expect that (adoptions will pick up in the fall), but having said that, I also am aware that the economy has effected everyone.”
She noted the adoption rate is slower than it used to be. “It’s not something we can control.”
But it doesn’t all have to do with the economy. Boots, a 4-year-old black Tabby, was returned because the family developed allergies.
There’s a greater need for foster care during “kitten season,” Hendrickson said, which runs from early spring to late fall. During the summer, Meow experiences a “kitten explosion” of returns.
“That’s when we need them (adoptions) the most,” Hendrickson said.
The employees at the shelter have all led by example, taking many cats into their homes to be taken care of. She said at least 75 foster homes in Kirkland are “tapped out” and not able to take in anymore kittens until they are cleared out. Then the kittens would be able to come to the shelter so they could be adopted by a permanent family.
The shelves of wet food at Meow were once empty and the employees were paying for the food out-of-pocket. But after a story about the shelter’s problems aired on KOMO 4 News, people lined up out the door and shelves are now full, Vevea said.
Hendrickson said all cats at Meow get “the spa treatment.” They are spayed or neutered, have a microchip implanted, are treated for parasites and have been tested for leukemia.
How to help
If you would like to take in a stray kitten or make a donation, contact MEOW Cat Rescue at 425-822-6369. They are located at 10600 Northeast 68th Street, Suite F, Kirkland.
