June 10, 2005

The cages were filled with cats, more were on their way, and no one was showing up yesterday to take them home from the District's Northeast animal shelter.

Washington,DC,USA

With adoption rates down the space in shelters is overcrouded. "It's getting kind of tight in here," says Jim Monsma the operator of the Washington Humane Society as he walked by cages full of animals, some of which have been on hold for weeks.

With so many cats on hand the Washington Humane Society has issued what they call a "code red", urging people to visit and perhaps adopt a cat, or two, or four..

The shelters problem which is also affecting Northern Virginia as well as many other places across the nation is a matter of supply and demand. Too many cats and not enough adopters to give them homes. A problem that often comes in June.

The adoption rate falls duing June because many people are quite busy with the start of summer, planning vacations or moving.

"People feel more committed to dogs. People see the dogs as part of the family," he said. "Cats? Easy come, easy go."

"There are more animals in need of shelters than there are people adopting; that's a constant problem," said Scotlund Haisley, the Washington Area Rescue League's executive director.

As many as six cats daily are euthanized however the Washington Humane Society shelter houses stray cats for as long as they are healthy and well behaved, which in some cases is not long because the felines catch respiratory ailments and don't always do well in confinement.