Gracie is a 14-year-old cat with generous amounts of love for owners with soft voices in calm homes without other animals or children. Gracie has hyperthyroidism and requires a topical dose of medication to her ears every 12 hours. She is adoptable through Furry Friends.
Charley, 3-year-old, spent much of his early life neglected and ignored. He was outside and fending for himself when he contracted the feline immunodeficiency virus from the neighborhood cats. His spirit needs to heal and he needs time to learn to trust people for scratches, hugs and treats. He is adoptable through Furry Friends.
Kitty Boy Boy is a handsome 10-year-old who was surrendered by his owners due to their health. He is a cuddly kitty that loves ear rubs. He is a cute boy ready for his forever home. He is adoptable through Furry Friends.
As people spend more time indoors due to statewide closures, many fluffy and furry companions are getting extra love, attention and treats. Along with extra at-home love, shelters across the nation are experiencing historically high adoption rates and empty shelters as people take home new pets. Furry Friends, a no-kill cat rescue shelter based in Vancouver, is no different.
“It feels absolutely fantastic,” Furry Friends Marketing Director Diane Stevens said about the high adoption rate. “Some of our harder to adopt kitties are being adopted, and it just makes our heart sing.”
Stevens said Furry Friends chose to remain open during the pandemic because the shelter is smaller and they felt like they could handle everything in a safe and healthy way. Just as it was prior to the pandemic, Furry Friends is a closed shelter and requires potential adopters to book appointments. Once a time is scheduled with adoption coordinators, the two parties will arrive at the shelter with masks and gloves to visit the cats. Adoption costs are $100 for one cat or $140 for two.
While there might be fewer cats at the shelter, they are still up for adoption. However, Stevens said the shelter is placing a high priority on the medical portion of their care. The shelter is bringing in cats and quarantining them so they can be cleared of all upper respiratory infections. After they’ve quarantined, the cats get their vaccinations from their volunteer veterinarian, Sandy Bush.
Although the shelter is quarantining the cats for everyone’s safety, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that, at this time, there is no evidence that companion animals such as cats and dogs can spread COVID-19. According to a release sent out by Furry Friends, a veterinarian with the American Veterinary Medical Association said there have been no cases for cats testing positive or showing signs for the disease, though The New York Times reported April 22 that two cats had tested positive in New York.
Nomi Berger, a volunteer writer for Furry Friends, also said that if a person is sick with COVID-19 symptoms, they should restrict contact with their cat.
“Avoid petting and snuggling your cat, being kissed or licked by her and sharing your food with her,” she wrote in a column, explaining that if you are sick and pet your cat, the disease can travel to anyone else who touches the animal.
Along with taking health precautions around your animals, Furry Friends also recommends creating a “pet plan” for your fuzzy companion complete with an emergency kit. While it may not be necessary today, having a plan in place can be helpful in an emergency situation. In the kit, cat owners should have a name and contact for a person to care for the pets and a backup person; food, treats and a leash; a crate or carrier; vaccination records; medications; and daily care instructions.
Because Furry Friends is a no-kill shelter and medical costs can go up quickly, Furry Friends is always in need of donations and fundraising. According to Stevens, the shelter spent just over $126,000 taking care of about 200 cats last year. While not every cat requires the same amount of care, some require much more than others and can be expensive.
“We do what is needed to get that cat healthy and we still adopt them out for just $100,” Stevens explained. “We usually spend a lot more than $100 on each cat.”
To raise money for these costs, Furry Friends participates in “#GivingTuesday,” a worldwide fundraising event that usually takes place on the Tuesday after Black Friday. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Giving Tuesday event organizers added an additional day-long fundraiser for Tuesday, May 5. Furry Friends is hoping to raise $7,500 for medical costs during the May 5 event. Community members can donate through the Furry Friends website at furryfriendswa.org/ or on the Facebook page during the Giving Tuesday event. However, community members can donate any time they feel generous online or by sending in a check. “Donations keep the doors open,” Stevens said, mentioning that the shelter is still hoping to have its September auction this year.
While the adoption rate being higher than ever is a great feeling for everyone that volunteers for the shelter, Stevens said it’s kind of a double-edged sword because the volunteers become so attached to the cats.
“We put so much time and effort into these cats that they become a part of us and we try to keep in touch with the people that have adopted the cats,” Stevens said.
On social media, community members can keep up with the cats that have been adopted as well as the ones that are up for adoption.
“We are trying to put a lot of goodness out there,” she said.
More information about Furry Friends and Giving Tuesday can be found at furryfriendswa.org/. To see the cats the shelter has up for adoption and schedule an appointment, visit furryfriendswa.org/cat-adoptions/
