Katie Oreskovic Reporter
The love humans hold for animals has remained persistent throughout history, so much so that human influence has shaped the relationship domesticated animals have with the world today. As the force that integrated pets so deeply into modern life, humans have a responsibility to maintain their wellbeing. Caped Crusaders Cat Rescue of Union, Missouri carries this responsibility in every aspect of their operation.
The shelter, which opened in Union, MO on Aug. 23 at 830 North Oak St, is aiming to make a dent in the homeless cat population. While other shelters exist in the area, they are often overpopulated and lack the resources to take on higher needs cats. The main focus in the Caped Crusaders mission is to provide a safe space for the felines that would be turned away elsewhere.
“We especially focus on cats that are deemed ‘unadoptable’, special needs and at risk for euthanasia in Missouri kill-shelters,” Cat Care Coordinator Alexandria Stroup said, “We’re saying yes when everyone else has said no.”
The shelter invests a lot of medical care into their cats before adopting them out, ensuring their wellbeing.
“We do not allow any cat coming out of Caped to go out without being altered, vaccinated, health tested for FIV/FELV, microchipped, flea treated, and dewormed at a bare minimum.” Stroup said.
Regardless of the efforts put towards homeless animals in Franklin County, shelters are at a never-ending battle with the growing problem of overpopulation. This is a human-created issue.
“[Cat homelessness is] perpetuated by the lack of spaying and neutering in our community, and the lack of resources.” Stroup said, “A lot of people don’t realize how expeditiously cats reproduce, but their fertility is closer to a rabbit than other animals. They can have a litter every 75 days and they can get pregnant as young as four months. This creates a massive issue with multiple litters a year… one unfixed cat can make 18 more kittens in just a year.”
Veterinary care can be an expensive but non-negotiable aspect of taking on the responsibility of a pet. Spaying and neutering is one of the biggest ways individuals can help minimize the suffering caused by overpopulation.
“Our veterinary partner Pet Station has a really great reduced cost veterinary program for Franklin County,” Stroup said.
For those who are interested in making an impact on these animals’ lives, information for volunteering. fostering, or adopting a pet, can be found at the Caped Crusaders website.
“To help us out, we suggest going to our website – https://www.capedcrusaderscr.org and signing up to volunteer! We also accept donations of supplies for our cats. We have a resale shop in the back of the shelter that has new and gently used pet items and animal-themed people items! We’d love to see you!” Stroup said.
Choosing to invite a pet into one’s home can be a rewarding decision, but it’s important to consider how human choices impact the animal population overall. Adopting rather than buying from a breeder, and getting animals fixed can take strain off of shelters and help combat overpopulation. Animals have been selectively bred into dependent pets, and as a result, humans must now be dependable. Organizations such as Caped Crusaders Cat Rescue offer just that.
“We really feel that every life matters.” Stroup said
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