Baran-Unland: 33 kittens at Joliet vet’s office need good homes

If you’d like to adopt a kitten, VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has about 33 that need good homes.

Or so our family found out when we picked up medicine for Faith, my calico with small cell lymphoma.

In fact, VCA Joliet Animal Hospital recently acquired so many kittens, its latest joke is “free kitten with every spay and neuter,” said Dodi Ludtke, hospital manager.

VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has approximately 33 kittens that need good homes, including Taffy. Kittens are litter-box trained and have age-appropriate vaccinations. — VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has approximately 33 kittens that need good homes, including Taffy. The kittens are litter-box trained and have age-appropriate vaccinations. (Denise Unland)

“We had a manageable amount,” Ludtke said. “And then we had one mom that had seven, another mom had five – and then we ended up with another mother of three. Someone dumped off a litter of four, and then we took in three little ones.”

What does Ludtke consider a manageable amount of kittens?

“Fifteen,” she said.

But the kittens kept coming.

VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has approximately 33 kittens that need good homes, including the "city kitties:" Odessa, Paris, London and Rome. Kittens are litter-box trained and had age-appropriate vaccinations. (Denise Unland)

“Last Monday, when our kennel worker came in, she found two adults and seven kittens in a carrier at our back door,” Ludtke said.

This is not an isolated story.

In 2023, 3.3 million cats and 3.2 million dogs entered shelters and rescues across the U.S. according to Shelter Animals Count, “a neutral, independent nonprofit created to share and steward The National Database of sheltered animals that provides facts and enables insights to save lives,” according to the Shelter Animals Count website.

Spaying and neutering help prevent the increase in the pet population by reducing unplanned or unwanted litters, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

In fact, spraying and neutering are the “single most important driver of reduced pet overpopulation and euthanasia in animal shelters,” according to research conducted by the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Of course, sometimes owners can’t keep their pets.

VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has approximately 33 kittens that need good homes, including Koy, Tetra and Guppy. Kittens are litter-box trained and had age-appropriate vaccinations. — VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has approximately 33 kittens that need good homes, including Koy, Tetra and Guppy. The kittens are litter-box trained and had age-appropriate vaccinations. (Denise Unland)

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said 47% of rehomed dogs and 42% of rehomed cats are moved due to aggression, problematic behaviors, growing larger than expected, or health problems owners couldn’t handle.

Rising costs also are a contributing factor. Veterinary care and pet food costs rose from November 2022 to November 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Last Monday when our kennel worker came in, she found two adults and seven kittens in a carrier at our back door.”
— Dodi Ludtke, hospital manager, VCA Joliet Animal Hospital

And sometimes owners simply abandon their pets. This happened to Rajah, a cat featured in Monday’s Will County Pets of the Week. Rajah was left behind in an apartment when his previous owners moved and wound up with Forget Me Not Rescue in Manhattan.

So if you have room in your home for a cat – or two – from VCA Joliet Animal Hospital, the cost to adopt one is $175 for spayed cats and $100 for the kittens, who will need to be spayed or neutered at six months, Ludtke said.

“Our fees are lower than a lot of places,” Ludtke said.

VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has approximately 33 kittens that need good homes, including Cassion. Kittens are litter-box trained and have age-appropriate vaccinations. — VCA Joliet Animal Hospital has approximately 33 kittens that need good homes, including Cassion. The kittens are litter-box trained and have age-appropriate vaccinations. (Denise Unland)

All cats have their age-appropriate vaccinations, she added.

“They’re all friendly,” Ludtke said of the cats. “Make an appointment and stop in and see them.”

For more information, call 815-729-0770 or visit vcahospitals.com/joliet.

Baran-Unland: 33 kittens at Joliet vet’s office need good homes

Do you have room in your home for a cat or two?