Young kittens are in cat condos located in the front lobby and most older kittens and adult cats are housed together in the shelter’s newly renovated feline facility.

When selecting a cat, first observe their behavior. Whether the cat is alone or with another feline, you can quickly assess their personality. Observe if they are shy or confident, playful or laid-back, chatty or quiet. Then, choose accordingly.

Meet the kitties in the feline facility
Regardless of their independent nature, cats respond to attention and love. To approach a cat in the indoor/outdoor facility, crouch low so as not to intimidate the feline and extend your hand so he can sniff it. If he accepts you by licking your hand or coming closer, slowly rub his forehead or lightly scratch under his chin while speaking in a low, calm voice. Gentle petting should follow as long as his ears remain up, the tail is not flicking, and he is not cowering or hissing.

Kittens in the front lobby
If the feline is in a cat condo or kennel, ask a volunteer or employee to open the door so you can pet him. For a kitten that is more active or playful, a trip to the shelter’s adoption room is a good idea. There, you can get a better idea about his personality and try out different toys for him to enjoy.

Shelter cats at the Aiken PetSmart store
The shelter also transports cats and older kittens to the Aiken PetSmart, where they can be adopted on-site. These felines are showcased in cat condos located in the back of the store. Description cards are posted on the condos to inform you of each cat’s background and personality traits. If you want to spend a little time with one of the cats, just ask a PetSmart employee to assist you.

Bringing your new pet home
Once you select a cat and bring him home, let him explore your residence. It is natural and enables him to define the kingdom he will soon rule. Leave the carrier he came home in near his food and water so he can have a place where he feels safe.

Don’t let him outside even if you plan to make him an outdoor cat. He first needs to learn the lay of the land as well establish that you are his source of food and care – a process that takes at least a month. Keep in mind that the life expectancy for indoor cats is 14-19 years while that of those that go outside is 5-7 years. The Shelter strongly recommends keeping your cat indoors.

If you have other pets, wait at least one day before introducing them to allow your cat to decompress from the stress of moving to a new place. Spend as much time with your cat as possible and talk to him. Your calm voice and affection are what he needs to bond with you.

To ensure he gets needed exercise and satisfies his hunting instinct, play with your cat using different feather and mouse toys. Most importantly, enjoy your new feline companion and shower him with love and good care. You have just saved a cat and given him a second chance at a great life!

— By Steve Masterson, FOTAS Volunteer

We’ve come a long way together. With your help, we successfully lobbied the County Council to build a new shelter and partnered with the county to raise money to fund the architectural design and construction-ready plans.

Once the new shelter opened in early 2014, we recruited and trained an army of volunteers to work at the shelter, performing the equivalent of eight to 10 full-time jobs. We funded training programs for county personnel. We developed and funded exciting new programs with the county to increase adoption rates. We created a network of transfer partners in the northeast that take animals we can’t adopt locally, along with a system of foster care for dogs and cats who have been accepted for transfer or have special needs. We also supplement adoption fees for military personnel and veterans.

We provided fencing to create exercise yards, bought a new van to move animals locally to outside adoption events, and installed a storage shed. We pay for toys, blankets, treats, flea and tick meds, cat condos, a doggie treadmill to rehabilitate and socialize dogs, and humane runners for folks who need to take their dogs off of chains.

We funded the construction of an isolation pod to separate shelter animals with temporary infectious diseases, as well as a host of necessary medical equipment and supplies. Through this assistance, we’ve made it possible for sick and injured animals to have a second chance. A total of 450 heartworm positive dogs have been saved through our funding. We also pay for outside veterinarian services when necessary.

Our funding has made it possible to attack overpopulation of pets at the source. Last year, the county and FOTAS paid for the spay/neuter of over 1,300 citizen-owned pets and 1,120 community feral/cats.

Has all this effort made a difference? You bet it has. In 2009, the old county shelter often took in more than 6,000 animals a year; only 5% made it out alive. This year, the shelter will have taken in 4,200 animals, and 90% were saved. Hands down, FOTAS and the county save more animals than any other rescue agencies in the country.

It couldn’t have happened without a lot of hard work, dedication, and support from you, the Aiken community.

We and Aiken’s homeless animals are blessed to have your support.

But there is still so much to do. In the last two months, a whopping 1,000 animals were surrendered to the shelter. Please consider an end-of-the-year donation to FOTAS, either by mail to FOTAS, PO Box 2207, Aiken SC 29802 or online at FOTASAiken.org.

By the way, since FOTAS was recognized by South Carolina as one of the 10 most efficient and effective charity “Angels” in the state, you can be certain that your hard-earned dollars are spent on our mission.

Thank you and God bless your family this Christmas season.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

By the Numbers
Since October 1, the County Animal Shelter has taken in well over 1,000 strays and surrendered pets. Please spay/neuter your dogs and cats.

Pets of the Week
ANGIE: Retriever mix, female, 3 years old, brindle and white, 50 pounds – $35

BEE BEE: Domestic Shorthair cat, female, 1-1/2 years old, black and white, 6.5 pounds – $10

Stewart’s passion for felines is shared by all the members of the FOTAS volunteer team who take care of the cats at the Aiken PetSmart Store.

“We love what we do,” said Judy Albert, who leads this special team. “We want to help and make sure the cats are well-cared for and give these animals a second chance to live with a loving family.”

The Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) receives many unwanted felines in need of homes each month, but the partnership with PetSmart helps ease the load, providing a second location for cats to be showcased and adopted. While most of the adoptable adult cats and kittens are available at the County Shelter located at 333 Wire Road, PetSmart provides FOTAS with 10 cat condos at its Aiken store on Whiskey Road.

Once ACAS staff transports the cats and all their medical records and paperwork to PetSmart, the FOTAS volunteers keep the felines watered, fed and clean. They follow a strict schedule, making sure that someone comes in to maintain the kitties’ condos and living area twice a day, every day. The volunteers also take notes on the cats’ behavior and special needs and most stay for hours to play with the felines, helping to socialize and prepare them for their future forever homes.

“Cats are funny and entertaining,” says Michelle Greene, who started volunteering three years ago because her 10-year-old daughter, Ansley, wanted to help and be around the PetSmart cats. “We enjoy working with them, try to make sure they feel comfortable around people and let the compatible ones play together. I like volunteering here because it’s something I can do once a week that benefits the animals and it’s also teaching my kids responsibility. We call it our ‘fuzz therapy.’”

Thank you so much to the FOTAS Pet Smart volunteers: Leader Judy Albert, Eileen Livesey Allen, Kathy Bissell, Meagan Boehl, Kayla Cox, Cheryl Dillinger, Lynn Edwards, Michelle Greene, Allison Hamilton, Leah Holt, Lauren Jennings, Diane Moore, Twylia Stewart and Emily Smith.

Thank you also to PetSmart, especially Aiken PetSmart Store Manager Steve Block, Assistant Store Leader Ken Gunter, Customer Engagement Leader Lauren Amundsen and the many store associates who assist customers.

It’s a team effort and a lot of work but the results speak, or rather, meow for themselves.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

Pets of the Week

EILEEN: Calico kitten, female, 4 months old, 4.5 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart store)

TOOTOO: Terrier mix, female, 10 months old, 33 pounds – $35