Kitten adoptions in Chubbuck

If you’re looking to welcome a new furry friend into your life, one Southeastern Idaho group may be able to help.

“Adopt don’t shop,” PAWS volunteer Sarah Mersing said.

At Petco in Chubbuck, you can find fish, dogs and almost every weekend, cats up for adoption.

“We come here almost every weekend and set up here so we can try to get these guys exposure,” Mersing said. “It’s a good socialization thing especially since the puppy classes are here so it’s a lot of dogs, new smells, lots of people and then we also try to find them homes so people can come in, we fill out the paperwork here and people can even take them home today.”

The Portneuf Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS, is very accommodating with those looking to adopt a kitten.

“We’re very flexible like if someone’s like hey, I love kittens, but I need to get some stuff and prep we’re more than willing to bring them to your home afterwards, once you’re ready,” Mersing explained.

So where are these cats coming from?

“Usually…they are strays that we find outside,” she said. “They are usually very young, abandoned by their mothers, or by old owners… left them out and we come along and we find them and we trap them, spay, neuter, vaccinate and try to find them homes so they don’t have to go through anything like that again.”

And just yesterday, the group was able to find one of the kittens a new home.

“His name was fuzzy, he was a little three-month-old long hair black cat, it was two older women, they were very excited,” Mersing said.

And according to Mersing, adopting a cat is the best thing you can do.

“Cats, they need homes. They’ve been through a lot, a lot of cats, they get abandoned, I’ve heard of cats getting thrown out of car windows on highways,” she said. “It’s just they are easily abused and so rescuing a cat is the best thing you can do.”

Since Mersing was hired three cats have been adopted, “and none of them have come back,” she said. “They all love their new homes.”

But seeing a cat leave is always bittersweet.

“It’s like sad because you helped them get to that point, but you’re also super happy because you know they are going to have a very full life,” Mersing said.

If you are in the market for a new kitten, the adoption fee is $35 and covers the spay, neuter and vaccines.