News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

If you’ve been thinking about adopting a cat or kitten, Friday the 13th is your lucky day.

The BC SPCA’s Williams Lake & District Branch is holding a Freaky Friday Feline Festival Adopt-a-thon to find homes for some of the more than 90 cats and kittens at the shelter.

“Normally, we have about 50 animals in total, including dogs and puppies,” says branch manager Liz Dighton. “But it’s kitten season, so right now we’ve got more than 60 kittens plus about 30 adult cats.”

(Photo:  Dolly is available for adoption.  Click to enlarge this photo.)

In keeping with the theme of the event, Dighton is hoping to find homes for at least 13 cats and kittens during the five-hour adopt-a-thon on Friday, Aug. 13 from 4 to 9 p.m. Of course, cats and kittens will also be available throughout regular shelter hours of operation from 11 to 3 p.m.

Dighton wants to bring particular attention to black cats and kittens, and Friday the 13th seemed the appropriate time to do it. Traditionally, black animals – dogs, puppies, cats and kittens – spend more time in shelter care than their non-black counterparts. One theory is that black animals simply don’t stand out as much as their colourful peers. They are also more difficult to photograph well, and thus don’t get as much attention from newspapers and online adoption sites.

(Photo:  Lucky is one of the black cats currently available for adoption at the Williams Lake SPCA.  Click to enlarge the photo.)

According to BC SPCA statistics, black cats and kittens spend an average of nine more days in shelter care awaiting a home.

“Black cats are every bit the wonderful companions as any other colour of cat,” says Dighton.

“Plus they never look dirty and their fur is easier to see in your food so you never end up swallowing it,” she quips.

The Freaky Friday Feline Festival Adopt-a-thon is set for Friday, August 13 from 4:00 until 9:00pm at the Williams Lake & District Branch, 709 Bond Lake Rd., at the top of the hill on Highway 20.

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