Hoover cat adoptions rise during COVID-19 stay-at-home time

Jaclyn Walz had been thinking about adopting a cat for a while but just hadn’t gotten around to it.

But when the state stay-at-home order came out in early April, it got her thinking about it even more.

“I live alone,” the 28-year-old Birmingham woman said. “I just was increasingly sitting at home by myself and wanted another living, breathing animal in my home — someone to keep me company and give me cuddles.”

So in late April, she emailed the Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue center in Hoover to see about adopting a cat. She filled out an application, was accepted and made an appointment to visit the new center on Old Columbiana Road.

“I was just going to look that day,” she said. “I didn’t expect to walk out with a cat that day.”

But Ducky, a 4-year-old Siamese cat, changed her mind.

Ducky had been timid around others since arriving at the rescue center, but “when I sat down, and she came right out and started purring and being very social with me, I knew I had to take her,” Walz said. “She just completely lit up when I got her home. … Within five minutes, she was ready to explore, and within 10 minutes, she was just all over everything, all over me. It was just a complete personality change. We just clicked.”

Rita Bowman, executive director for the Kitty Kat Haven, said the rescue center has been inundated with interest in adoptions since people began staying at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

There were 463 email inquiries during the month of April alone, said Andrea Pekarek, a Kitty Kat Haven volunteer who handles the inquiries. That’s about triple the inquiries in a normal month, Bowman said.

There were 242 applications filled out and 101 adoptions in April, Pekarek said. That compares to 49 adoptions in April of last year.

“It has been unbelievable,” Bowman said.

A lot of people are home more, feeling isolated and looking for companionship, Bowman said. “It’s nice to have someone to pet or sit in your lap. It’s like a comfort for them,” she said.

Other people are looking to give their children the companionship of a pet since they aren’t able to socialize with friends as much right now, she said.

Kitty Kat Haven could have adopted out more cats, but the rescue center is very particular about who can receive a cat, Bowman said. The center requires at least two personal references and asks prospective cat owners their reason for wanting to adopt.

“We want to make sure we’re putting them in homes that will keep them forever and not just someone adopting because they’re lonely,” Bowman said.

They want to avoid giving a cat to someone who isn’t responsible enough to handle it and who likely will lose interest in the animal as people return to more regular routines, she said.

“This is a 15-year, 20-year commitment with a kitten,” she said.

Plus, the Kitty Kat Haven requires people to commit to keep cats indoors and not to declaw the cats. Studies have shown that indoor cats live 10 to 15 years on average, while cats allowed outdoors live three to five years on average, Bowman said.

The Kitty Kat Haven is looking for people who will treat cats like a part of the family and not just an animal, she said.

Walz said she didn’t arrive at her decision to adopt frivolously. “I want to be able to give her the care she deserves,” she said. “It’s not just something to do because I’m bored. … It’s a commitment.”

The Kitty Kat Haven gave her some supplies to help her get started, but she has since bought a larger pet carrier. She also plans to get Ducky some more toys, but “I’m trying not to become a total crazy pet owner,” she said.

So far, the relationship is going well, Walz said. “She sleeps with me every night. She’s my cuddle buddy. We’re happy.”

While the number of adoptions has been greater than normal, there still are plenty of cats and kittens available, Pekarek said. At the beginning of May, there were 42 cats at the rescue center and 123 more cats and kittens in foster care.

The Kitty Kat Haven requires people to pay a $125 adoption fee to help cover the cost of medical testing, deworming, flea removal, microchipping and spaying or neutering.

For more information about adopting, go to kittykathavenrescue.org or email kittykathaven1@gmail.com.