You can help the North Fork Animal Welfare League save more cats by donating towards much-needed cat care equipment for the Southold Animal Shelter. While the facility is a fairly new structure, the need for specialized cat enclosures has become urgently apparent. There’s been an uptick in older and special needs cats coming into the shelter, more than ever before. From economic factors contributing to house cat relinquishments to working more closely with community cat caregiver partners, the number of cats who need individual care has increased. The very specific health and safety requirements the cats are facing now is a result of a collaborative and concerted effort to save more felines.
The North Fork Animal Welfare League is the nonprofit animal welfare agency holding the animal control contracts for the towns of Southold and Riverhead. Under the League's tutelage, the combined save rate is 97% for companion animals. A big part of that success is the League’s commitment to community cats (aka feral cats). The Southold Animal Shelter acts as a kitten nursery, an overnight staging area for spay/neuter surgeries, a care center for injured or sick community cats, and provides long term housing for community cats who cannot be returned to their colony.
The League's cat population is also comprised of owner relinquishments and cats who are picked up by Animal Control Officers. The felines from owner surrenders are often elderly, requiring special dietary or medical needs that are cost prohibitive to the guardians. The cats who are rescued by the ACOs are often sick or injured. Both intake avenues often result in cats who need to be fed separately or require temporary isolation for medicating, treating injuries, and observation.
The current equipment to ensure each cat gets the very best care they require is inefficient. The League uses large dog kennels for temporary containment. This MacGyver-like workaround is not a strategic solution for long term lifesaving.
Luckily, the solution to creating the perfect cat environment customized for the Southold Animal Shelter is available. Mason Luxury Cat Condos are specifically designed for animal shelters based on the Association of Shelter Veterinarians guidelines for feline housing. Each condo incorporates separate litter and hiding units as well as sleep and exercise areas. Cat perching shelves and easy-close portal doors are standard. The wire grid front promotes airflow and improved animal health while also allowing for interaction with facility staff.
The Mason Luxury Cat Condos are exactly the kind of enclosures that will enable the North Fork Animal Welfare League to save more cats’ lives. While the initial cost may seem high, they will provide the League with the proper equipment to safely house, medicate, feed, and promote cat adoptions for years to come. We are asking our community to please help us save more at-risk cats by making this lifesaving investment. No donation is too small and please help us spread the word! Thank you for your interest in helping save more precious lives!
