BERLIN– Dozens of cats and kittens will be showcased by a local group at a special adoption event next week.
On Thursday, July 22, and Friday, July 23, Town Cats of Ocean City will take part in a special adoption event at the Berlin Petsmart as part of Petsmart Charities National Adoption Week. Town Cats volunteers are hoping the event will connect adopters with the array of cats the group has that are in need of homes.
“We’ll have a lot of adoptable cats and kittens there,” said Susan Mohler, president of Town Cats.
Town Cats, which was started more than 20 years ago to address the feral cat population in Ocean City, now serves the resort and the surrounding community. The nonprofit’s volunteers work to control the growth of the local cat population and find homes for those that have been lost or abandoned. The group’s mission is to enrich the lives of feral and abandoned cats by limiting population growth and providing medical care through Trap/Neuter/Return and by offering affordable adoption services.
“Our goal is to find homes for lost, unwanted cats,” Mohler said. “We also have cats that make good barn cats to help with rodents. They may lack social skills but they make excellent workers around the farm.”
Though the group typically has some adoptable cats featured at Petsmart, next week’s event will allow Town Cats to showcase the cats and kittens that are currently being cared for in foster homes.
“We don’t have a physical facility so all these cats and kittens are in foster homes,” Mohler said. “Other than the pictures on Facebook, how else are people going to see these animals?”
The group will rotate cats throughout the two-day event so as many as possible that are in need of homes can be showcased and introduced to potential adopters. Town Cats charges a $95 adoption fee.
“That gives you a cat that has had its required shots and has been spayed or neutered,” Mohler said.
The group does not adopt out cats that have not been spayed or neutered. Mohler said so few people realize that as soon as five weeks after she has kittens, a female cat can get pregnant again.
“We’ve got to stop this cycle,” Mohler said.
Town Cats has been challenged this year with caring for more kittens than usual.
“We have at least 50 kittens in our foster system,” she said. “This spring we’ve been overwhelmed.”
While that is due in part to the fact that the group rescued 20 cats — five of whom were pregnant — from one location, it’s also related to the pandemic. Clinics that typically work with Town Cats to provide spaying and neutering services operated on limited hours last year as COVID-19 was a concern.
“Now we’re backed up,” Mohler said.
She’s hopeful that the July 22 and 23 event will result in successful adoptions for many cats. Those who aren’t in need of a pet but still want to help Town Cats can visit the group’s Facebook page or website, towncats.net, for more information. The group is working on several fundraisers and also welcomes donations of supplies.
“We’re also always looking for volunteers,” Mohler said. “We’re an all-volunteer group. We have no paid employees and no physical facility.”
