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June is Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month, and since kitten season is in full swing, now could be the ‘purrfect’ time to find your new best friend.

Not only are thousands of newborn kittens joining the millions of cats already in shelters, but a lack of foot traffic, funding, and supplies at many shelters struggling to maintain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic have threatened these animals hopes to find a forever home.

“It’s very important that we do all we can to save our animals through adoptions,” Lunenburg Animal Control Officer Ray Elliot said.

As of Monday, June 7, Elliott said the Lunenburg Animal Shelter had six cats and one kitten, but with kitten season, he was expecting more soon.

“When kitten season is here, we start to run out of space,” Elliot said. “That’s why it’s important to spay and neuter your pets. A low population means fewer animals that have to be picked up because they have no home and less overcrowding in the shelter.”

If you’re looking for how to help save a shelter cat this month, there are many ways.

Adopting a cat is the most preferred, but before you commit to furry parenthood, make sure to have the time, space, and budget to properly care for a cat. If you do decide to adopt, remember senior cats need homes too.

Those unsure they want to provide a permanent home for a cat may begin by fostering a cat or kitten. Fostering gives a cat a break from shelter life and often reveals an entirely new kitty personality.

Don’t have room or time? Donate. Shelters go through tons of kitty litter, cat food, kitten food, treats, toys, beds, and towels all year long, but these items vanish even more quickly during kitten season. Donating even a few of these items to a local shelter will help out.

“By adopting a cat, you’re not only saving that particular cat, but you also make space for the next cat coming into a shelter,” Samantha Bell, cat expert at Best Friends Animal Society, said. “Adoption is also very cost-effective, as cats are usually fixed, vaccinated, microchipped, and ready to go home for one low fee.”

Appointments can be made to view the animals currently at the Lunenburg Animal Shelter by contacting Elliott at (434) 777-0054.