No one wants to hear it, believe me I know, but I still have to say it. I can't even count how many times people have told me "You can't save them all." And I can't count how many times I've been called the crazy cat lady and that no one is going to want to come to my house because I have (now 6) cats. Well tough luck. The way I see it, I am taking care of six cats that would have otherwise been put down. Two of them I picked up literally the HOUR they were going to be euthanized, and they are two of the sweetest cats I've ever met. You see, I could only have one cat, but there are people out there who don't get their cats fixed and let colonies of them breed in their backyard, only to be taken to one of the shelters listed below to be put down.
This year the Ionia County Shelter took in 522 cats, adopted out 274 of them, and euthanized 149 cats and kittens. I was so relieved that euthanization number wasn't higher, until I looked at the records for the Macomb Humane Society, Humane Society of West Michigan (which upon an earlier visit claimed they no longer euthanize) and the Kent County Humane Society. So here are the numbers - Macomb took in 914 cats and kittens, euthanized 794 of them, and only adopted out 56. Excuse me while I take an anti-nausea pill...Continuing, the Humane Society of West Michigan, which had a name change this year, took in 2095 cats and kittens, euthanized a whopping 1482, and only adopted out 497. Lastly, the Kent County Animal Shelter, who makes it nearly impossible to adopt from them, took in 2251 cats and kittens, euthanized 1920 of them, and only adopted out 58!!!
Anyway, I would like to argue the belief "You can't save them all." I believe that over time people will work so hard at Trap-Neuter-Return that every cat will eventually have a home. It will take forever, but it can be done.
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