Published: May 20, 2008 01:10 pm            

Kittens just want to have fun

EDMOND — The kittens are coming. The kittens are coming. For weeks, visitors to the Edmond Animal Shelter have heard meowing kittens, but were disappointed to find none were available for adoption.

This week, the first of many fun-loving kittens will be ready for new homes.

“To be ready for adoption,” said Edmond Animal Welfare Supervisor Jim Fish, “the kittens must be 8 to 10 weeks of age, weigh at least 2 pounds, and be spayed or neutered.

“Although we are eager to find new homes for our kittens, their new families should prepare in advance for their arrival.”

Kittens can be challenging.

“People who have never had a kitten or who have forgotten the challenges of young kittens,” said Kristen Wilson, “will look into those innocent eyes and think, ‘How much trouble can one little kitten be?’”

Shelter specialist Wilson, Animal Welfare Officer Lacie Smith and Administrative Assistant Ila Kay Lee know the answer from experience, as they joined together in accepting the lion’s share of responsibility for taking care of all the young kittens. Early care for some of the youngest kittens included around-the-clock bottle feedings.

“Our kittens,” Wilson said, “are at an extremely busy stage of life. They have no trouble climbing their cages, and one little Houdini had no trouble escaping his. They bat toys, stalk imaginary prey, hide in unlikely spaces, and tumble with three or four littermates.” Since most people will adopt only one or two kittens, the new family will need to meet the challenge of providing an equally stimulating and safe environment.

Elizabeth Oliver, team leader and animal training instructor at Petco, 324 S. Bryant Ave., recommended Scooter Balls for new kittens. The inexpensive toy, looking like a small, colorful octopus, was a hit when tested by the shelter’s kitten crowd. Oliver also recommended door-hanger toys or wands with bouncing, feather toys attached.

To help with the cost of toys and cat necessities, local pet stores offer coupon booklets or discounts on pet products when a new pet is adopted from the shelter. Oliver and Vicki Woods, pet care manager at Petsmart, 1921 S. Broadway Extension, both said their stores offer coupon booklets, valued at approximately $100, to anyone bringing paperwork showing a shelter adoption.

While there are many toys available commercially, kittens can stay busy with common household items, too. Every kitten is different, but kittens often enjoy paper grocery sacks, boxes with cut-out holes, clothes hampers, practice golf balls, milk carton pull rings, crinkled paper balls attached to strings and non-toxic soap bubbles.

In addition to providing an interactive environment, new kitten owners will want to keep their pets safe and healthy. Dealing with one of the safety issues, Fish said he is trying to spread the word that Edmond is experiencing a growing problem with wildlife and pet encounters.

“I hope owners of these new kittens and other small pets will protect them from coyotes and bobcats whose hunting grounds now include our fenced yards. Families who adopt new kittens will have less trouble keeping their cats indoors, safe from prey, if they don’t start a habit of letting them out.”



If you’re ready to adopt a kitten, visit the Edmond Animal Shelter at 2424 Old Timbers Drive, southeast of the Interstate 35 and Covell Road intersection, or call Edmond Animal Welfare at 216-7615. Shelter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The shelter also will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 14.



KATHY TOPPINS is an intern for the Edmond Animal Welfare Shelter.

        

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