And the answer is, "As long as it takes!"
The Central Missouri Humane Society is an open door shelter, meaning any animal, no matter what age, breed, condition, or even species is welcome. In the past, this has included thousands of dogs and cats, the occasional pig, chicken and goat, and even snakes, raccoons and an alligator! Because we are an open door shelter, however, we sometimes receive more animals than we are able to care for. Sadly, this does mean we euthanize some animals. But it is never based on how long an animal has been in our care. Rather, we consider each individual animal - their health, their temperament, and their ability to handle the highly stressful environment that is life in an animal shelter.
Depending on their age or breed, some animals are adopted within days of being relinquished. Others take a while to find their perfect home. One of the longest residents in recent memory was Simba, an orange tabby who came in as a kitten, but missed getting adopted as a cuddly youngster. 16 months later Simba finally got his 'fur'-ever family! The staff and volunteers who cared for Simba were sad to see him leave, but excited for his new future.
Though staff and volunteers get to know and love our long-time residents like Simba, all animals deserve a family to call their own. Throughout February, in honor of the month of love, we will highlight a new dog and cat each week that has been at CMHS for months, and is looking for a family to love them! Additionally, we'll be blogging about their day-to-day life here at the shelter, and how you can help make the stay of any animal a little more comfortable. Email staff@cmhspets.org if you are interested in one of these great pets!
Meet Kit Kat! This gorgeous black and white girl has been a resident of CMHS since August 23, 2010! As an adult cat, she is pretty low-maintenance. She is excellent at using her litter box, and is content to entertain herself with toys or naps. She currently resides in our cat colony room, and gets along great with other cats. Her hobbies include bird watching from the window seat, and keeping tabs on the staff and volunteers at CMHS from the top of the climbing tree in the colony.
With her distinguished white muzzle, Sage got her name for looking like a wise old sage. Sage has been looking for a new family since October 22, 2010. At four years old, this terrier mix's temperament is a sweet as her smile! She is a docile dog who gets along well with other calm dogs and children. Her foster home reports that she gets along a little too well with cats! She doesn't chase, bit or bark at them, but she sniffs at them, keeps a watchful eye, and is prone to following them everywhere! This is far more entertaining for her than for the cats! Beyond that, she is a fantastic pet- house trained, crate trained, walks wonderfully on a leash, and loves to snuggle up to her humans.
