Finding A Forever Home

The Okotoks Pound Rescue is working to give cats in a need a forever home.

Gabriele Barrie, president of the Okotoks Pound Rescue, says she's seeing an increase in cats being surrendered. From mature, special needs, and moms and kittens, the rescue has them all.

Barrie says she doesn't feel it's necessarily financials that play a factor with affordable spay-neuter clinics and rescue groups, but rather people being uncommitted to these new family members.

"It's the attitude [that] we're entitled to a kitten when we think it's cute and then comes the real work, the cleaning up after them, to finding somebody who looks after them when it's holiday time, then reality sets in that it's not that easy having kittens," she says.

She says another problem is farms and acreages who refuse to get their cats fixed with the felines travelling between farms and creating more strays. She also recommends people microchip their animals so if they're lost they can more easily be returned to their homes instead of not finding their owners and being put up for adoption as a result.

The Pound Rescue only adopts kittens out in pairs. Barrie says it works better for the animals as the kittens have each other when the owners may not have time to play with them and they're less destructive.

Barrie says people should take a few things into account before turning to adoption.

"They should remember that any pet is destructive and that their home will not be the same anymore," she says. "If you're committed for the next 20 years to have a pet, you should check with your lifestyle. We make them really think about what is coming in their life."

For more information on adoption and the Okotoks Pound Rescue click here.

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