CCARE is considering the addition of a cattery to its animal shelter in Clay Center. Executive Director John Rieb Jr. stated that the organization is in the early planning stages and needs to assess various factors beyond just constructing a facility.
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Rieb emphasized the importance of securing adequate funding, staffing, veterinary resources, supplies, and the operational capacity to care for cats before moving forward. He noted, "We want to make sure we do this the right way rather than rushing into it by adding another species before we’re fully prepared to provide that level of care."
Once established, the cattery's primary focus will be on adopting out cats rather than taking in every stray or feral cat. Rieb highlighted that while the cattery would focus on adoptable cats, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) would still play a vital role in managing the community's feral cat population.
Currently, there is no dedicated funding for the cattery project, but Rieb anticipates that this will change after the planning phase concludes. "Once the cattery moves from the planning stage into an actual construction project and we know what it’s going to cost, I would anticipate launching a dedicated capital campaign specifically for the expansion," he said.
Rieb also mentioned the need to further reduce Clay Center’s feral cat population before the addition of a cattery becomes feasible.