LIVERPOOL, N.Y. (NCC News) — Many animal shelters across Central New York are overwhelmed by the unprecedented number of cats being put up for adoption, a surge that began when Covid-19 isolation ended.
Shelly Episcopo is a volunteer cleaner and cat socializer at HumaneCNY, an animal shelter in Liverpool for dogs and cats in need. During the pandemic, with many people forced to isolate, shelters saw a large surge in cat and dog adoptions, according to Episcopo.
“We were doing really well during the pandemic getting animals into homes,” Episcopo said.
But when Covid-19 restrictions loosened and cat owners had more daily responsibilities, many furry friends found their way back to shelters.
“It was going so well but now it’s going in reverse, even when we get pets into homes we fill back up,” Episcopo said. “We get calls every single day about, you know, I can’t keep my cat anymore or I can’t keep my dog anymore.”
HumaneCNY is not the only animal shelter in the greater Syracuse area struggling to find homes for stray cats. The Central New York Cat Coalition, a cat and kitten rescue and adoption center, is also working to find homes for homeless cats. The CNY Cat Coalition received 120 calls about stray and abandoned cats during the first week of July, according to a Facebook post.
This overpopulation of cats is not unique to Central New York.
“I follow a lot of rescues across the country, from California to back East here, and all of the rescues are talking about overpopulation,” Episcopo said. “It’s been an issue for years. What’s the solution? People being responsible and taking care of their cats and getting them spayed and neutered.”
Volunteers and employees at HumaneCNY face a second crisis as cat crates are filled to capacity.
“It’s not just Covid-19, we now have a staffing shortage,” Episcopo said. “People want to work from home and they don’t want to come in.”
Struggling to meet low demands for cat adoption is not a new trend among animal shelters.
“It’s been an issue for years,” Episcopo said. “What’s the solution? People being responsible and taking care of their animals.”
Even though shelters battle a seemingly endless struggle, HumaneCNY said it believes there is hope on the horizon.
“I think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” Episcopo said. “There’s an awful lot of good people out there and I think there’s more people that care than don’t care.”
