Massive Mews

The sounds of birds chirping, warmer weather and dreaded allergies signal the spring season in Santa Fe, but if you work or volunteer at an animal shelter, another indicator could be an increase in puppy whimpers or kitten mews.

This is the case for the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society, specifically related to cats.

“We are in our uptick in animals as happens in spring around here,” Senior Director of Shelter Operations Dylan Moore tells SFR. “We’ve had our kitten shower already, but I suspect that the tidal wave of kittens is right around the corner.”

Moore says the team is working to get momma cats and litters into the shelter with the help of foster workers who are doing “a lot of intensive care” for them.

The shelter has faced pushback in the past for its approach to felines. Specifically, former shelter CEO Jack Hagerman wrote an April 2023 column on feline overpopulation in SFR that received criticism from other organizations and people that suspected the shelter turned away cats or redirected them to other places. Hagerman resigned in August 2023 less than two years after coming on board.

Moore says the search for Hagerman’s replacement continues today, while interim CEO Caren Shiozaki holds down the fort. He adds the organization has conducted interviews with several candidates, but the work will go on “as long as it takes to find a candidate who’s a good fit for the organization and the community.” Moore declined to answer further questions regarding the process, saying he “had to agree to a fair bit of confidentiality to participate.”

On the feline front, however, Moore says the low number of adult cats at the shelter can be explained by the average length of stay, which he calls “one of the most important, if not the most important, stats in terms of measuring the shelter’s population.”

“We’re looking at an average length of stay of cats of about 11 days, and that includes their stray hold time,” he says, noting improvements. “What we see at this shelter looking back historically is [that] cats are trending in a very favorable direction, so average length of stay of cats is trending down.”

As of press time, the organization’s website adoption page currently shows four cats available for adoption, with ages ranging from 3 to 14 years old. Three of those were brought to the shelter April 3, while the oldest cat shows the longest stay time—27 days.

Cat-centric Feline & Friends New Mexico, however, continues to see high numbers of cats of all ages—a trend that began during the uproar over Hagerman’s cat comments. Executive Director Bobbi Heller tells SFR the organization—which started nearly 22 years ago—initially intended to be a place where other shelters could call “when they had a special needs situation,” such as under-socialization, health issues or necessary extended care. But that has changed as intake numbers have more than doubled over the last year, she says.

“The tables have been turned, and everyone is coming to us. The vast majority of calls we get are people saying, ‘I need help,’” Heller says. “We’ve been overwhelmed.”

To help combat growing overpopulation, Heller suggests spaying and neutering cats regardless if they’re tame or feral, and adds “every member of the community can be a part of the solution.”

“That’s really what our mantra is these days. If you are feeding a cat, you need to do the next step and get them fixed,” Heller says, noting there is financial assistance. “That really is going to make the difference in the long run...We really want to see that population of free roaming cats reduced.”

Meanwhile, Española Humane’s Director of Community Engagement Murad Kirdar tells SFR its kitten “tidal wave already happened. We started receiving kittens over a month ago, so we have a lot right now in fosters,” Kirdar says, noting a huge influx in the past year. “Kitten season and puppy season really never ended from last year, they just kept coming.”

Kirdar says the organization will start putting kittens up for adoption at an upcoming April 13 puppy yoga class in collaboration with Dirty Laundry Hot Yoga. In the meantime, if people come across kittens outside while walking, he recommends waiting to bring them to the shelter unless they are hurt.

“Usually Momma is out trying to find some food, so don’t just grab them,” Kirdar says. “Check out the situation. Wait a couple hours.”

Puppy Yoga Class and Adoption Event: 12-3 pm Saturday April 13. Dirty Laundry Hot Yoga, 2019 Galisteo St. Building N Suite 6, (505) 395-6606