Animal shelters flooded with unwanted cats

Posted 7/8/21

Mike and Faith Wicks are sick and tired of people using their property as a dumping ground for unwanted pets.

“It’s gotta stop,” Faith said.

Earlier this year, two orange …

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Animal shelters flooded with unwanted cats

Posted

Mike and Faith Wicks are sick and tired of people using their property as a dumping ground for unwanted pets.

“It’s gotta stop,” Faith said.

Earlier this year, two orange and white cats showed up at the Wicks’ home on Lane 6. They obviously were not feral, Faith said, as one rolled over for a belly rub. Another domesticated cat — which Mike said appeared to have been set on fire — showed up last week.

The Wicks, who already have seven mousers of their own, took the first two felines to the animal shelter and found a home for last week’s arrival. However, “I can’t keep doing this,” said Mike.

The couple says not all of the abandoned pets are so lucky, either.

When a domestic animal is left to fend for itself in the wild, “they are only good for two things out there — and that is food and starvation,” Mike said.

Some die violent deaths while being preyed upon by coyotes, foxes, skunks, raccoons and other predators.

“You don’t know what it’s like having to sit there listening to a domestic animal being eaten by a coyote,” Faith said, calling the dumping “unconscionable.” 

And they’re not the only ones having problems.

The Wicks say their friends — north of Powell, on the Willwood and near Garland — have also had abandoned pets turn up on their properties. Meanwhile, the Park County Animal Shelter in Cody has seen a surge in cats, driving up its costs, and the City of Powell/Moyer Animal Shelter has effectively run out of room for felines.

Thanks to an “unreal” influx of cats and kittens over the last month or two, “we are full,” said Powell shelter manager Barb Muecke last week. The shelter recently held 40-some felines and, as of last week, 13 kittens and 20 adults remained in the somewhat overcrowded facility.

“This year, it’s been really bad,” Muecke said, speculating it’s the result of springtime litters.

The Cody shelter reported a similar trend.

“After having a relatively low number of cats at the shelter for several months, we’re now feeling the impact of kitten season!” Park County Animal Shelter leaders wrote in a Friday email. In a span of less than two weeks, the organization went from 30 to 68 cats, “which means that we’re going through about three, 25-pound bags of litter each day!”

Animal shelter leaders always welcome donations of materials like litter and money — and encourage residents who are looking for pets to consider adopting. They also encourage pet owners to get their animals spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted kittens or puppies.

If someone winds up with an unwanted animal, the next recommended step is to place ads and try to find a new home, rather than immediately turning to the local animal shelter. 

“Otherwise, we’re really overrun,” Muecke said.

Feral cats are generally turned away, she said, because there’s a limited number of people who will take them. Rather, the Powell shelter encourages people to trap and fix wild cats.

Abandoning an animal is not only cruel, it’s also a crime that can be punished as a felony if the owner is caught. The Wicks say they’re frustrated enough that they’re willing to take the law into their own hands, pledging to put up game cameras and track down anyone who dumps a pet on their property.

“They better hope that the police find them first,” Faith said, saying a pet can’t protect itself any better than a child.

Muecke hopes the surge in unwanted cats will slow down and is sure it will, just as a smaller surge came and went in September and October.

“It is sad,” she said, “but people still go and get them and not take care of them.”

For more information about the animals available at the Powell shelter, stop by the facility at 638 W. North St. or call 307-754-1019. It’s open from 9-10 a.m. and 3:30-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday. To see a list of the pets available for adoption at the Park County Animal Shelter in Cody, visit https://parkcountyanimalshelter.org/available-adoptions or call 307-587-5110 for more information.

If you’re looking to find a new home for your pet and giving it away, you can place a free advertisement in the Powell Tribune by calling 307-754-2221.

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