Far too many felines
No-kill Humane Society in Hayden overrun with unwanted cats
More than 100 people are on a waiting list to drop off cats at Kootenai Humane Society. But the no-kill shelter in Hayden can probably expect to see more homeless felines than that.
“From (the time) people call until we can take them in, sometimes the cat has had a litter,” said Ingrid Thomson, the shelter’s main caretaker of cats. “We never, ever have room for all the cats, and sometimes, when we turn people down, they leave the cats outside by the gate.”
The shelter’s record for the year – housing 164 cats at one time – was set two weeks ago. It has room for 75.
“We try to talk to the owners and persuade them to keep the cats,” Thomson said. “But I always have a feeling half of the cats end up dumped in the woods instead.”
More people are trying to unload their pets because they can’t afford to keep them. Meanwhile, donations to the shelter are down.
“We are getting it from all sides right now,” said Phil Morgan, Kootenai Humane Society’s executive director. “But it’s not our fault, just because we went ‘no-kill,’ that there are too many cats. We are just one of the spokes in the wheel.”
Kootenai Humane Society has been a no-kill shelter for five years. That means no cat or dog is euthanized unless it’s fatally ill or poses a danger to the public.
It may be a surprise to some that the Humane Society can’t be forced to take in animals.
“We are a private organization. People shouldn’t feel entitled to drop their cats off here,” Morgan said. “And at the same time, killing animals doesn’t solve the problem. If it did, we wouldn’t have a pet problem today, because we’ve been killing animals for years and years.”
No other Kootenai County shelters take in cats. Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls have ordinances and regulations related to dogs, but none for cats, leaving animal control officers without jurisdiction over felines.
“I guess they are considered free-roaming spirits,” Morgan said.
Officials urge cat owners to get their pets spayed or neutered.
“You go down to Post Falls park and dump out a bag of cat food and they come running out of the bushes,” Morgan said. “All we can do right now is try our best to educate people.”