Cat Shelter Manager Ami Prevec interacted with Jalen, a kitten recently transported from Utah, as another cat "Cream Cheese " looked on, Monday, at the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, in Washougal. The WCGHS arranged for the transfer of 29 cats from an over-crowded shelter in Utah. The cats are available for adoption.
(Dawn Feldhaus/Post-Record)Cat adoptions are available through the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, at several locations:
WCGHS cat shelter
2675 S. Index St., Washougal, in the Port of Camas-Washougal Industrial Park
Open daily, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or by appointment
Contact: 835-3464, email adoptions@wcghs.org, or visit www.wcghs.org/adopt/adopt
PetSmart
130 S.E. 192nd Ave., Vancouver
Open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Contact: 256-8667
Petco
11505 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver
Open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Contact: 524-2810
The Cats Meow Luxury Boarding
330 N.E. Chkalov Drive, Ste. “B,” Vancouver
Open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact: 260-2287, email catsmeowboarding@gmail.com or visit www.thecatsmeowboarding.com
Gus, Garrison, Pips and Dingo are among the newest residents of the Camas-Washougal area.
The cats arrived in an SUV Saturday night, at the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, in Washougal. They were accompanied by the executive director and the clinic manager of the Cache Humane Society, in Logan, Utah.
The cats were greeted by WCGHS Cat Shelter Manager Ami Prevec and five volunteers.
The 29 felines, ranging in age from 8 months to 5 years old, are available for adoption.
“The cats are all very friendly and want love and attention,” Prevec said. “No one hissed when they were taken out of their crates.”
She said 50 cats were adopted from the WCGHS in November.
That almost cleared out the no-kill shelter.
“After reaching out to local groups in Washington and Oregon and finding out everyone is in a similar situation to us with a shortage of younger cats, we contacted Best Friends Animal Society,” Prevec said. “We are a network partner of theirs, and they reached out to more groups. They found another network partner in Utah that was over capacity with cats.
“These cats are coming to us with the initial vetting already done, so this is a big time and money saver for us and we are able to help cats get into homes more quickly,” she added.
The cats from Utah have been spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and received parasite control treatment.
They do not need foster homes, but Prevec said the WCGHS is always looking for people who can foster kittens and special needs cats.
“I think it is very important for people to understand that in order for us to adopt our older and special needs cats, we must have the public’s interest,” Prevec said. “If we have good traffic flow at the shelter and a good presence at our PetSmart and Petco adoption centers, we will be able to more quickly adopt some of the harder to place cats.”
The adoption rate for cats, age 6 months to 7 years, is $60 each. The fee for cats older than 7 years or with special needs is $40.
