ST. ALBANS — “Kitten season” is approaching.
Between every March and June, the Franklin County Animal Rescue sees an increase in new cats and kittens sent to their shelter, and volunteer coordinator Jamie Ayers is already getting ready.
“We end up with a lot of stray friends from lots of kittens,” she said.
To highlight the work, Ayers spent part of Saturday at The Eloquent Page raising awareness by bringing a cat to the bookstore.
“I think cats have this natural want, to curl up and get cozy with people. And people who like to read books like to curl up and get cozy,” Ayers said.
Cats and books
On Saturday morning, many bookshop visitors took the opportunity to pet Cooni the cat, stopping by a small area set up by the shelter to hand out a nuzzle.
Ayers said the shelter doesn’t currently have many cats, but she expects that to change soon in March. Kitten season begins when Ayers said cats start reproducing in the spring, and there are plenty of feral and unspayed animals around Franklin County. Ayers said they can be found pretty much anywhere, with a few litters even popping up in Taylor Park last year.
Franklin County Animal Rescue works with Cat Crusaders and Feral to Forever to catch, spay or neuter then release such feral animals to cut down on cat colonies, but the task becomes more difficult when pet owners don’t treat their own animals.
Therefore, Ayers said all of the animals at Franklin County Animal Rescue are microchipped and either spayed or neutered before they can be adopted.
“We have primarily cats that are able to be re-homed,” she said.
She encourages anyone interested in adopting to jump on the nonprofit’s website at www.franklincountyanimalrescue.org for information on how to adopt, volunteer or donate.
“Maybe you don’t have room in your life for a cat friend at the moment, but you know, it doesn’t stop people from making a donation to the humane society and helping to support them,” Eloquent Page owner Donna Howard said.
Proceeds from Saturday’s book sales will be donated to Franklin County Animal Rescue, she added.
Getting ‘cozy’
The idea for the day’s pairing initially came from Eloquent Page employees. Howard said they had been considering reworking the front window with some cat-themed books, but they figured they could just bring in the real thing to help out the rescue shelter. One call later, and they set up a quick event Saturday to make the pairing.
Cats have also found some renewed popularity in today’s books, Howard said. Syou Ishida’s latest novel “We’ll Prescribe You Cat” is the latest in the growing “Cozy” style genre that often features feline companions helping out their people. In the book, a few metaphorical lost souls looking for a dose of humanity stumble into a clinic that prescribes cats to help them re-discover their passions for life.
Howard said books with similar stories from Japan and Korea are growing in popularity these days, with many featuring some element of magical realism to draw in readers.
Cats, too, are often associated with good luck and prosperity in Japan, with many Americans likely familiar with the maneki-neko, or beckoning cat figurines, typically seen decades back by cash registers in many “Asian” restaurants.
“There's something about the idea of sitting there and having a cat on your leg. A cat on your lap, in your hands, at your side, that's very cozy,” Howard said. “We all need a little cozy sometimes.”
It makes sense. Ayers said cat adoptions at Franklin County Animal Rescue tend to spike during the winter. It’s the summer when the strays need the help.
“Come in and meet one of our available friends,” Ayers said. “If there isn’t one in a few weeks, you can come back to see if we have one that’s a good match.”
Franklin County Animal Rescue is open from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays, and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can be reached at 802-524-9650, or by visiting their website at www.franklincountyanimalrescue.org.
