By Anna Kate Doiron | The Vicksburg Post

 

Dozens of full-grown cats are available for adoption at zero cost.

A former Vicksburg resident built seven indoor and outdoor enclosures to house and care for these cats for the past seven years. Due to the resident’s health issues, the responsibility for them has been placed in the hands of the city of Vicksburg Animal Shelter and Paws Rescue.

Shelter director Kacie Lindsey said there are upwards of 50 cats that have all been either spayed or neutered and are ready to be adopted, with no fee required. Some have spent their life indoors, while others have self-trained to be sufficient “barn cats” — meaning they are good for catching snakes and rodents outside the home.

The property will soon be sold by the family, and the shelter cannot physically handle this many cats.

Lindsey said the former caretaker took good care of his cats, utilizing outdoor enclosures and fully functioning RVs to house them. Both were filled with play structures.

When winter came, he brought in space heaters. With the arrival of the heat from the Mississippi summer, fans ran constantly.

“I can promise you they never went hungry,” Lindsey said. “There were boxes upon boxes upon boxes of chewy food.”

Every day, Stacy Chaney spends her morning feeding the cats and giving them fresh water. Chaney regularly volunteers for the shelter, but recently this is where she has focused her efforts.

Both Lindsey and Chaney spoke highly of the community of volunteers gathered around the shelter and Paws Rescue.

“We got a lot of volunteers who love (the animals) and socialize them,” Lindsey said.

Those wanting to adopt one of the cats should contact the animal shelter at 601-636-6982 or Paws Rescue at 601-529-1535 and set up an appointment to visit the location. The staff asks that anyone planning on taking one of these cats home arrives with an animal carrier.

Other volunteering opportunities are available for those who are unable to adopt. Donations of Purina Cat Chow or Purina Kit Kaboodle cat food are appreciated and can be brought to the shelter located at 70 Old Mill Road, Vicksburg Telephone at 955 U.S. 61 North; or Pet Sense at 3405 Pemberton Square Blvd. in care of the “cat colony.” Monetary donations can also be sent to P.O. Box 13, Vicksburg, MS 39156.

Shelter officials declined to publicly disclose the location of the property, but said they would share the address to those looking to adopt the cats.

 

Anna Kate Doiron is a graduate of St. Aloysius and a student at Ole Miss. She is currently working as an intern staff writer with The Vicksburg Post and Vicksburg Living.