Daily Herald opinion: How to help suburban animal shelters amid surging cat population
DuPage County Animal Services officials sounded the alarm earlier this month about a booming cat population straining the resources of suburban animal shelters.
It’s kitten season, they said, adding their shelter in Wheaton was “bursting at the seams with felines of all ages.”
Laura Flamion, administrator of DuPage County Animal Services, told reporter Dave Oberhelman, in a story published Aug. 15, that the breeding season began in April and runs through September. And this year, the open admission shelter at Manchester and County Farm roads has received 30% more kittens than in 2025.
Anderson Humane, which has its main shelter in South Elgin, saw a roughly 15% increase in cat surrender applications. At one point this month, the organization was caring for nearly 300 cats, and it was unable to take any more in, according to Dean Daubert, president and CEO of Anderson Humane.
Meanwhile, the influx of felines isn’t limited to the suburban shelters.
“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 added. “All the shelters are terribly overloaded.”
The situation is a reminder of two important facts. The first is that if you own a cat or dog, you should get your pet spayed or neutered.
Second, we all owe a debt of gratitude for the noble work that animal shelters are doing across Illinois. Employees and volunteers at those agencies are committed to finding new homes for a constant flow of needy animals.
While those groups especially need donations now as they deal with the booming cat population, any time is a good time to give. Just reach out to a group of your choice and see what type of donations they need.
In addition to seeking donations of wet cat food and other items, Animal Services in DuPage has scheduled a cat and kitten adoption event from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, at its facility, 2255 Manchester Road. The goal is to adopt out at least 30 cats, Flamion said.
Adopting a cat or dog from a shelter is rewarding and adds a long-term companion to your family. It also frees up space at the shelter for another homeless animal.
If you don’t have the ability or means to adopt a pet but want to do more than donate, you can consider volunteering.
Volunteers for shelters help to walk the animals and provide them with attention. They also help keep the cages clean and bowls full of food and clean water. Some volunteers provide foster homes to house and care for dogs and cats from the shelters.
It’s sad to see homeless animals, but thankfully there are groups and organizations devoted to finding forever homes for as many of them as possible. We should do whatever we can to help.