JAMESTOWN — A planned addition at the James River Humane Society will allow for more room for cats and will include isolation rooms and a large window for a better view outdoors, according to Jo Biloff, president of the Humane Society.
“It is the cat addition we have needed,” she said. “It will have separate birthing and isolation rooms for cats in need.”
A groundbreaking ceremony for the addition will be held at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the James River Humans Society's facility. The facility is located about 2 miles east of Jamestown and just south of Interstate 94 at the Bloom exit.
The addition will be added to the northeast part of the James River Humans Society's facility.
The addition will provide enough space so cats can be moved out of the Humane Society’s office. Currently, there are signs on the doors asking visitors to be careful not to allow any of the cats to escape.
Removing the cats from the office will also allow dogs to be moved to and from the dog area without exposing them to cats which can result in possible aggression, said Sheila Marsalek, cat manager for the Humane Society.
“It will be so much safer for the cats and dogs,” she said.
The James River Humane Society is a nonprofit organization and the facility is a no-kill shelter that provides housing and care for animals needing protection.
The addition also includes large windows that will allow the cats to get a better view of the world and office space for the cat and dog managers. The managers currently share space with the general manager of the facility.
“Our current cat isolation room has no window,” Marsalek said. “We are turning that into a storage closet which is good.”
Keith Norman / For The Jamestown Sun
The new facility will have two isolation rooms allowing separation of two cats that are nursing kittens or are ill without having to be placed in foster homes, she said.
The planned addition has a cost estimate of $100,000. There is a lead donor for the project but the organization is continuing to raise funds for the addition.
“We have been talking about this for a number of years,” Biloff said. “Back in December, we decided we could talk about it or make it happen.”
They hope to complete the project this fall depending on weather and contractor schedules.
“I’m looking forward to completion but I’m also kind of nervous,” Marsalek said. “Construction can be kind of loud.”
Marsalek said any cats stressed by the bustle and noise of construction might be placed in foster homes during the construction process.
The addition comes at a time when more pets are being placed for rescue and adoption.
“The need is growing,” Biloff said. “There are more animals being abandoned.”
Biloff said adoptions increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, many people who adopted a dog or cat during that period are seeking to get rid of the animals.
“They are being shrugged to the side,” she said. “It is a statewide and nationwide problem.”
Currently, the Humane Society is housing and seeking permanent homes for about 20 dogs and 25 cats. Marsalek said the Humane Society places an average of 10 cats per month to new homes.
“Some people prefer kittens, some like adult cats,” she said. “Everyone has their own preference.”
The Human Society charges a $200 adoption fee which covers the cost of neutering and shots before the animal moves on to its new home. Application forms are available at its website.
For more information on volunteering for the James River Humane Society or to adopt a new pet, visit
www.jamesriverhumanesociety.org
. The website also includes forms to donate to the Humane Society’s construction project and plans for the new addition.
