Talbot Humane is making a special offer to help address an urgent need. The facility is sheltering more than one hundred adoptable cats, with another 55 waiting in temporary foster homes. To alleviate the overcrowding, it is temporarily offering reduced rates on cat and kitten adoption fees.

“We are bursting at the seams,” said Executive Director Brian Metcalf. He reported that the facility’s ideal capacity is 40 to 50 cats and kittens. “Our compassionate staff and dedicated foster parents are working tirelessly to keep up with a population that is three to four times what they should be expected to handle.”

To encourage more adoptions, Talbot Humane is offering the opportunity to take home two kittens for $100, a savings of $50 over the regular kitten adoption fees. Cats over the age of six months may be adopted for $35, and all cats that have been at Talbot Humane for more than 120 days will have their adoption fees waived entirely.

Metcalf indicated that the savings is a significant value for those adopting. All cats have been spayed or neutered, tested for feline leukemia and vaccinated. In addition, each has micro-chip identification. “Our cost just to spay a cat or kitten is more than the entire adoption fee,” he said.

The urgency of the situation is due to concerns for the health of the cats being cared for at Talbot Humane. “The two major causes of feline upper respiratory outbreaks are stress and overpopulation,” explained Metcalf. “It is absolutely critical that we reduce our cat population to allow our feline friends to maintain their health and adoptability.”

Metcalf also welcomed donations from the community to help defray the costs of this special promotion along with everyday expenses. “Every single dollar we receive through donations assists Talbot County pets,” he emphasized. “We are here for Talbot Countycritters and residents and encourage everyone’s financial help to meet and overcome this extraordinary challenge.”

Talbot Humane is open seven days a week for adoptions. For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer, call Talbot Humane at 410-822-0107 or visit www.talbothumane.org.