On Saturday, during HART's open house, they adopted out 6 kittens and 4 adult cats. It was a wonderfully busy day, and an exception, not the rule. Based on the current adoption special, those adoptions brought in approx. $650. (The number is approx. because there are 2 different rates for kittens, based on age, and I don't know the age of the kittens adopted.)
Also on Saturday there were 10 kittens and 6 adult cats, one possibly pregnant, surrendered. Already the numbers are not good...more coming in than going out. At least 4 of the adults, and all of the kittens, will need to be spayed/neutered.
What happens to cats when they are brought into HART? They are weighed, checked for fleas/ticks, treated for fleas/ticks/parasites, and given a general lookover to see if there are any issues to bring to the vet's attention. They are brought to a vet where they are vaccinated for rabies and distemper. They are tested for FeLV, FIV, and heartworm. They are spayed/neutered if not done already. They are given a health exam, and any health issues found are followed up with the prescribed treatment by the vet.
What would all of this cost you, if you had the vet do all this to your cat?
Medical Service What You'd Pay
Neuter (male)/Spay (female) $92 / $200
FeLV/FIV testing $52
Rabies vaccination $29
Distemper vaccination (1 shot) $20
Revolution (fleas & ear mites) $18
Pyrantel (hook & round worms) $8
Droncit (tapeworm) $6
Total Cost: $225 / $333
HART is fortunate to work with local area vets who are able to offer these services at a reduced rate, but it is still well over $100 per cat. This does not take into consideration the expenses of normal, every day care, such as food and litter. The regular adoption fee for a cat from HART is $75.
Let's go back for a moment to that $650 that was brought in through adoptions. Let's assume that all of the cats/kittens brought in will need $150 (for easier calculations) each in vet care. That's $2400. I'm terrible at math, but even I can see that HART is fighting a losing battle.
This is why donations are so important to shelters like HART. This is why I am trying to raise $10,000 to help them, and to help these cats. The cats deserve the high quality of care they receive, but even more they deserve good, permanent homes.
I just found your blog through the H.A.R.T. website. Posts like this one really help to clarify the need for donor support that shelters like H.A.R.T. have. Thank you for using real-world examples to illustrate the financial imbalance, and keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete--H.A.R.T. supporters Jamie Lynn & Nicholas