They're cute. They're cuddly. They're feisty. And they're taking over local animal shelters.
Kitten season is here.
"In the spring and summer, the cats outside are giving birth," said Melissa Jones, the chief at Baltimore County Animal Services. "We wait until (the kittens) are eight weeks old, they come in for surgery and we want to get them adopted out."
20 animal shelters around Maryland are participating in the Maryland 2000 adoption event, with the goal of adopting out 2,000 cats and kittens by the end of the month.
Each shelter is waiving their adoption fees for all cats and kittens.
"Its our way of trying to alleviate all of the crowded cages," said Wendy Goldband, the marketing director for the Baltimore Humane Society.
In the Baltimore area, the following animal shelters are taking part in the Maryland 2000:
Anne Arundel County Animal Control, Baltimore County Animal Services, Baltimore Humane Society, BARCS, Cecil County Animal Services, Howard County Animal Control & Adoption Center, Humane Society of Carroll County, Humane Society of Harford County, Humane Society of Kent County, and the Maryland SPCA.
"You're getting a cat for free, you're getting a wonderful companion for life. You're helping out shelters alleviate the crowded cages and making room for lots more cats and kittens to come," said Goldband.
With each cat or kitten adoption, you'll also receive a free wellness exam from 12 participating vet practices. CHAT Hospital at Towson will be providing free wellness exams for any cat or kitten adopted at BARCS, the Maryland SPCA, Baltimore Humane Society and the Baltimore County Animal Services.
For more information on the Maryland 2000 and all of the participating shelters and vet clinics, click here.
