Kitten boom: High number of cats straining the resources of suburban animal shelters

DuPage County Board member Brian Krajewski remembers that time a cat “drove in from Ohio.”

Krajewski, chair of the county’s animal services committee, says the feline “climbed up into these people’s car” and got into the luggage rack.

“They drove all the way back here,” he said. “And when they were unpacking, they found a cat.”

Feline hitchhikers are fun to consider. But operators of suburban animal shelters and adoption facilities have legitimate concerns about a booming cat population.

Laura Flamion, administrator of DuPage County Animal Services, says breeding season started in April and runs through September. And this year, the shelter in Wheaton has received 30% more kittens than in 2025.

Flamion says she worries about finding forever homes for the 172 kittens and cats Animal Services had on hand Aug. 11 — more arrive by the day — when only about 100 can be comfortably accommodated at the recently expanded and upgraded shelter at Manchester and County Farm roads.

That number is rarely reached, Flamion said.

“In fact, we got five in today that are only a week old, and at that young age they require around-the-clock care, bottle feeding, doing all the things mom cat would normally do, and we just don’t have enough resources to keep up with it,” Flamion said.

In addition to seeking donations of wet and dry cat food, Animal Services seeks to relieve the pressure with an Aug. 29 kitten adoption event. The goal is to “adopt out” at least 30 cats, Flamion said.

“Really, anybody is a great candidate for a cat,” she said. “We even encourage people to sometimes get two kittens, because it helps when they have a friend when you’re away at work all day.”

A first step for prospective pet adopters at this and other shelters is to fill out an adoption certificate.

Dean Daubert, president and CEO of Anderson Humane, with locations in South Elgin and Bloomingdale, has seen a roughly 15% increase in cat surrender applications. But with nearly 300 cats in Anderson’s two locations and in foster care, “we can’t take any more in,” he said.

An attempt to reach Barb’s Precious Rescue in Palatine, which held a “kitten shower” in July, produced a similar online notification: “We cannot accept cats or kittens at this time.”

The good news at Anderson Humane is the average stay for cats and kittens is only 26 days.

“They get adopted fairly quickly, especially kittens,” Daubert said. “However, there’s just such a wave of them coming in all the time.”

Not just a local problem

The feline frenzy is not contained to the suburbs.

“We’re seeing this all over the state,” said Jane McBride, president and founder of Illinois Humane in Springfield.

“Yes, we have a cat problem everywhere,” she said. “All the shelters are terribly overloaded.”

McBride listed several factors, including a “skyrocketing” increase in veterinary care and a lack of funding dedicated to spaying and neutering.

She said it’s important to offer programs that allow shelter animals, feral cats and people’s pets to be spayed and neutered.

“If we don’t have the resources being invested in this, it gets away from us fast,” McBride said. “So that’s been part of the problem.”

Trying to reduce the numbers

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, only 35% of pet cats are kept indoors at all times. Those allowed to roam outdoors may then breed with feral cats, which are not quality candidates for adoption.

Increased costs of cat food and cat litter contribute to the problem.

“Just think about a family worried about putting food on the table. Are they going to buy cat litter? They’re going to let their cat out to go potty, and if they can’t afford spay-neuter, it’s off to the races,” said Tammy McAuley of Feral Fixers.

McAuley started the Lombard-based organization in 2007 to reduce feral cat numbers and reproduction rates. The nonprofit has since treated at least 16,995 cats.

According to McAuley, Feral Fixers has 15 to 20 cats awaiting foster care, with roughly 50 more already housed by caregivers and awaiting adoption.

From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, McAuley is holding an adoption event at Feral Fixers, 330 Eisenhower Lane North, Lombard.

Feral Fixers receives resident tips on stray kittens and cats, then sends volunteer trappers to get them. Working with shelters such as DuPage Animal Services or Naperville’s A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter, Feral Fixers assesses the animal and implements “TNR” — Trap, Neuter, Return.

Once released, a treated feral cat can be identified by a clipped or notched ear.

“We do our best to bring in kittens for adoptions,” McAuley said. “We put them through foster care and put them up for adoption, but there’s only so many fosters and so much space at the building, so we’re very limited and wish that we could do more.”

doberhelman@dailyherald.com