Discarded cats arriving at The Lost Dogs’ Home have reached alarming numbers with kitten season in full swing – bringing hundreds of cats and kittens to the Cranbourne and North Melbourne shelters.
The home is now a refuge to more than 750 cats with the majority of those arriving without a microchip and not desexed.
The Home’s spokesperson Suzana Talevski reminded pet owners to desex their cats to prevent mass breeding.
‘’Sadly, we are not even half through the summer period which is peak season for breeding,” she said.
“Unless people start heeding the messages about desexing their cats, we will have more homeless cats arriving at shelters across Victoria with capacity at breaking point.”
She said it was a trying time for the shelter’s older cats which are often overlooked for kittens when it comes to adoptions.
“Some of our seniors are in desperate need of a home and we would like to get them to a loving family as soon as possible,” Ms Talevski said.
‘’Some have been waiting several months to find a home.
“It’s breaking their hearts, and ours too.’’
Cranbourne’s shelter currently has 137 cats in its care including 37 cats and kittens available for adoption and 35 in foster care.
The longest time a cat has spent in care has been 126.7 days and the longest period a cat has been up for adoption was 31 days.
Walk-ins are now available at the Home’s shelters.
Adoptions for dogs at both sites are still being conducted by appointment only.
Visitors should also be prepared for longer wait times for cat adoptions during weekends, with the shelter continuing operating under CovidSafe measures such as social distancing.
