MSPCA to waive cat adoption fee for weekend adoptathon

Does anyone want a cat? In hopes of finding 200 adult cats new homes, the MSPCA is waiving adoption fees this weekend.

Usually, there is a standard $150 adoption fee for cats ages 1 and up, which goes toward spaying or neutering, shots, microchipping, ID tags and a professional evaluation. But this coming Saturday and Sunday, those fees will be waived in hopes of emptying the shelters to make room for new homeless cats.

“Summertime is the hardest time to find homes for older cats as animal shelters tend to have more kittens and it can be difficult to compete for attention with young and adorable kittens,” MSPCA spokesman Rob Halpin said. “The End of Summer adoptathon lets adult cats shine.”

Throughout the last four years of the adoptathon, the MSPCA has placed 800 cats into new homes, and are looking to get that number to 1,000 on their five year anniversary.

“There’s two things to keep in mind,” Halpin said. “Cats live 15 to 20 years, so adult cats have a lot of life in them. But they also know the drill. They usually come to us having lived in homes with other cats, dogs and kids, so we know what their personality is like.”

While kittens are obviously wicked cute, that doesn’t mean they aren’t annoying as they figure out how to be a cat.

“Kittens in the frenzy phase at about 10-12 weeks are setting out from scratch, so you don’t know their personality yet,” Halpin said. “So if you like shy independent cats, or a lap cat who’ll watch TV with you or sit on your lap while you read, we have a sense of the adult cat’s personality.”

All three of the MSPCA’s animal shelters in Jamaica Plain, Methuen and Centerville will be participating. More information is on the MSPCA website athttp://www.mspca.org/adoption/.

Funding for the adoptathon has been provided by the Catvocate group, an all-volunteer assembly of cat enthusiasts who donate time and money to help find permanent homes for adult cats in the MSPCA’s care.

“There’s such a karmic reason to adopt because you’re saving two lives,” Halpin said. “You’re liberating one from a cage and you are making room for another homeless cat to have a place to temporarily stay.”