Homeward bound

Yesterday was the first Cedar Rapids Animal Control Adoption Day since the flood. Only cats and kittens were available for adoption. These were cats picked up as strays or surrendered by owners to the shelter. There was a line out the door and down the sidewalk for most of the day. People stood in the sun holding empty carriers for as long as an hour waiting their turn to go in and see if there was a special cat that they could give a home. In one day, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the shelter was able to find homes for 72 cats and kittens! After the doors closed, several people had to be turned away. Those cats who remain at the shelter are mainly sick or too young to be on their own. Animal Control was so impressed with how things are running at the shelter they have decided to have more adoption days.

During all of the visiting of families with cats and consulting with adoption counselors and vets regarding health matters, one very pregnant tortoiseshell stray was secretly giving birth to five kittens. In all the excitement no one even noticed until it was time to clean up and go home. So we lost 72 but gained 5! Also 13 owned animals were able to go home with their humans, leaving around 280 flood displaced animals still to be cared for.