The Delta Community Animal Shelter will undertake promotion next weekend to encourage cat adoptions.
On Jan. 19 and 20, the shelter will slash its fees in half for cat and kitten adoptions in an event dubbed Start The New Year With A Friend.
The promotion follows a similar adoption event held late last year by the BCSPCA, which managed to adopt hundreds of half-price cats.
Shelter manager Sarah Lowe said all cats are spayed or neutered, had initial vaccinations, worm and flea treatments, and come with six weeks of complimentary insurance from PetSecure, as well as a certificate for a complimentary health examination.
The felines also come with permanent identification such as tattoos.
"We have cats and kittens ranging in ages and colours. Lots of senior cats are looking to be the ideal companion for a quieter home," Lowe said.
"We also still do the Meet Your Match program for our adult cats where adopters come in and fill out a short questionnaire about what they are looking for in a feline companion and what type of home they can provide," Lowe said. "We then match those results to cats we have in shelter.
"We ask that people adopt a cat not just because they are now a cheaper adoption fee, but because they want to have a long-term companion." she said.
According to the shelter, last year over 600 animals came through its doors. A total of 405 animals were adopted. However, the number of cats admitted as strays and claimed by their owners was only 15 per cent, which is why the shelter continues to urge cat owners to provide their pets with identification in the form of a tattoo or microchip.
The shelter also continues to see a high number of unwanted cats due to owners not spaying or neutering their animals.
This March, the municipally-run animal shelter will relocate to a new 12,000-square-foot facility to better meet the needs and comfort of cats and other animals.
For more information about cats available for adoption, visit www.deltacommunityanimalshelter.ca or call 604-940-7111.
