Cat shelter could close soon, causing trouble for community

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) - The Bingham County Humane Society is a 501(C)(3) public charity that tries to support the community by taking in cats and kittens that are homeless and unwanted.

The Idaho Falls Animal Shelter said eastern Idaho has a high feral cat population. 4.5% of impounded cats were euthanized in 2020, according to its recent study.

Cats can multiply very quickly. They can have three litters a year, and the average litter is four kittens.

“So that’s another 12 cats per cat that isn’t fixed,” said Jennifer Andrew, a volunteer at the Bingham County Humane Society.

Bringing cats into shelters helps to control population problems.

“We can’t take in everyone, which is heartbreaking,” Bingham County Humane Society’s treasurer Alayne Cobbley said. “But we take in as many as we can, make sure that they’re spayed and neutered, have their first shots, dewormed, and we microchip them and then we adopt them out.”

Since the Bingham County Humane Society is nonprofit, it relies on donations to stay open. Vet costs have gone up, which doesn’t help. The shelter’s volunteers are hoping for a Christmas miracle so they don’t have to permanently close.

If the shelter closes, all of its cats would need to be relocated to the local municipal shelter, which is already overcrowded. Several cats might need to be euthanized.

For information on how to adopt a cat or donate to the Society, visit binghamcountyhumane.org.