June is Love-a-Cat month, and for those who have been considering adopting a pet for a while, this may be the purr-fect time. Reap twice the
benefits with 2 pet cats
By Hawaiian Humane Society staffA cat can be a wonderful playmate and confidante for a child. Sharing the affection of an animal can build togetherness among family members. Remember that parental involvement is essential when children are learning to relate to a new pet.
Anyone adopting a cat from the Hawaiian Humane Society this month will receive a free 3-pound bag of cat or kitten food from Nutro, a collar, an ID tag and a cat carrier.
Adopters selecting two cats will pay just one adoption fee of $50. The benefit of a two-cat household is that they can learn from each other, and keep each other company while the owner's away. For the adoptive parent, two cats also add up to twice the household fun.
Cats can't be judged on looks alone, so the newly painted open-air rooms at the Humane Society's Cat House allow prospective owners to play with the cats, whose personalities are revealed through the games they play, or refuse to play.
For those interested in a double adoption, the play area allows you to see which felines have already forged relationships and interact with each other. There's probably nothing more joyful than watching 30 or so kittens playing together in one room.
The cost of adoption covers spaying or neutering, a microchip ID and vaccination. New owners also receive a certificate for a free initial exam courtesy of the veterinarians at one of 45 Oahu clinics.
Free sterilizations
To prevent cat overpopulation, 250 coupons for free sterilizations are also available through June 4. Coupons for the spaying or neutering are available through Monday or while they last at:>> Crazy Shirts (Ala Moana, Pearlridge and Haleiwa only), during regular store hours.
>> The Humane Society, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The free sterilizations are only for felines age 8 weeks or older. There is a limit of two coupons per family. A microchip ID can be added at the time of surgery for $5. For more information, call 946-2187, ext. 370.
If you are not able to take advantage of the free sterilizations, Oahu's Neuter Now program provides low-cost surgeries all year long. A male dog or cat can be neutered using an $18 certificate as payment; a female dog or cat requires a $29 certificate as payment.
The certificates may be purchased at any Satellite City Hall or the Humane Society and are accepted by 36 veterinary clinics on Oahu. For more information, visit the Society's Web site at www.hawaiianhumane.org/ programs/neuternow/index.html, or call to have a brochure mailed to you, 946-2187, ext. 223.
Microchip IDs
Crazy Shirts is also offering 200 coupons for a free feline microchip ID.The coupons will be given to customers who purchase a new Hawaiian Humane Society adopt-a-cat shirt this month (while they last) at Crazy Shirts' Ala Moana Center, Pearlridge and Haleiwa stores.
The coupons may be redeemed at the Humane Society from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays this month and next. No appointment is necessary; transport your cat in a carrier.
"Pet Ohana," written by the staff of the Hawaiian Humane Society, runs the first and third Fridays of the month. The society is a nonprofit agency dedicated to preventing cruelty to animals. It is at 2700 Waialae Ave. Animal adoption hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends and holidays. For more information, call 946-2187.
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