How do the cats get to the shelter? – Sentinel and Enterprise

Rescue cat Gisele sits on a blanket at the 2019 MSPCA event “Holding Out for a Hero.” (Photo by Mary Schwalm/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

Dear Pets: Are all cats in shelters feral, or have they been abandoned in some other way? – cat lover

Dear cat lovers: For the past three weeks, this column has been devoted to the topic of homeless cats, including strays, strays, and abandoned cats. We reached out to Wendy Hall at Second Chance Animal Services in East Brookfield, who explained that most of the cats at the shelter are surrendered by their owners.

Other volunteers at the Lowell Humane Society and Ahimsa Haven pointed to the parallels between pet ownership and pandemic lockdown protocols. When we were all at home, adoption skyrocketed. But once lockdown conditions eased (and the eviction moratorium ended), the number of animals surrendered by their owners increased by the hundreds.

In writing Pet of the Week every Sunday for the past 10 years, what I've seen is that 1- to 2-year-old cats in shelters have made it to the summit in 2022 and 2023. A volunteer at the shelter told me that people were “desperate.” Owning an animal during a pandemic. They were home and looking for company. However, many were out of work and could not afford to have these new pets repaired or inspected. And when inflation hit more than a year ago, the cost of spaying and neutering cats and dogs rose from a few hundred dollars to nearly a thousand dollars. That's far more than many people can afford.

Another common population is also found in the shelter. That is when an elderly cat with a medical condition is surrendered. In some cases, elderly owners may be placed in an “assisted living” facility. And if a family is unable to keep a pet, the person who has been with the pet for many years may end up homeless after years of caring for the pet. In other cases, a family may adopt an animal, never test it, and develop a medical condition that is left untreated. Leominster-Fitchburg Animal Control recently took notice of an adorable little dog. His arthritis was left untreated and he could barely stand.

Dear Reader: Pets are part of the family. Every veterinarian I've ever met wants everyone to be a good pet owner. If you are trustworthy, I know veterinarians will set up payment plans with trustworthy customers. The best home for your pet is your home, not a shelter.

Sally Craigin is the director of Be PAWSitive: Therapy Pets and Community Education. Visit us on Facebook, text us at 978-320-1335 or email us at sallycragin@gmail.com.