Board member
Central Aroostook Humane Society
Unfortunately, I have never really thought of myself as a “Cat Person.” My family had cats when we were young but I don’t have many memories with them; definitely nothing like the memories I have of our dogs. For this reason I have always been attracted to dogs.
Over the past couple of years, through my volunteer efforts, I have found myself visiting the cat rooms at the Central Aroostook Humane Society more and more, and I am finding it harder to leave all of those cats and kittens in their cages. Some of them are incredibly playful and vocal while others just want to be held and cuddled. They are lonely and bored and in many cases just want some sort of interaction. The hard part is that it would take days to take each cat or kitten out of its cage for just a few minutes. Yes, there are that many cats at our shelter!
For all of the cats and kittens we have at our shelter, there are countless more strays in our communities — many of which don’t make it to us or are brought to us when it is too late. A couple of weeks ago I had the unfortunate experience of meeting one of these stray cats.
A very caring family whom had found the cat brought it to our shelter hoping that it could be saved. The cat was incredibly thin, literally skin and bones. It had no muscle mass whatsoever. Its ears and the pads of its paws were freezing cold, its eyes unmoving and it was barely breathing. This was my first experience with a cat in this condition. My inexperience led me to believe that of course this cat could be saved.
After a thorough examination of the cat, it was determined that the best course of action was to humanely euthanatize it. The cat was suffering terribly and it was the only fair thing to do.
It was the first time I had ever been with an animal that had to be euthanized. I cried like it was my own. The only good thing I could pull from this situation was that the cat didn’t die alone, that I and the incredible staff at our shelter were there to care for it in its last hour of life.
So if I wasn’t a “Cat Person” before, I can certainly say that I am officially one now. There are so many cats that are deserving of good homes. The experience I had with that stray a couple of weeks ago reinforced why I give my time to help the shelter. I encourage everyone to help in any way that you can.
While there are sad situations at times, it is incredibly rewarding to work with and for the animals. Please consider joining our Friends group, volunteering at our shelter or making a donation. Most importantly, if you are able, consider adopting a pet.
To encourage cat adoptions, we have again reduced the adoption fee on all cats to only $15 for the month of September. There is still an application process and a $100 deposit, required by the state of Maine, for cats that are not spayed or neutered. Please help us to help them.
