Lee County Animal Services’ Ria Brown was sitting at her desk Tuesday afternoon looking at bags of donated pet food.
The problem was, she was only looking at dog food, while LCAS desperately needs cat food.
“It’s kind of odd,” said Brown, LCAS communications officer. “Nine times out of 10, when people donate, food it’s dog food. I don’t know why.”
LCAS is putting a call out to the community asking for donations of dry and wet cat food, and cat litter.
Through its Pet Pantry, LCAS distributes pet food and supplies to owners that would need to surrender their pets due to their inability to provide food and care.
Currently, LCAS is providing food for more than 800 pets, and also helping several neighborhoods and churches supply pet food for their members and residents’ pets.
LCAS also partners with the Harry Chapin Food Bank to help distribute the food.
But, of course, the supply is running thin.
“People are simply having trouble in this economy,” she said.
LCAS provides food to foster care-givers through its foster program, where citizens take in cats and kittens and care for them until they are old enough, and healthy enough, to be put up for adoption.
Foster care-giver Vicki Conn said she tries to help out LCAS by paying for a lot of the food out her own pocket.
“Because the fosters care so much about the cats, they will pay for the food out of their own pockets,” Conn said. “Many of the fosters finance it on their own so needy families can have food for their animals.”
Conn said the average adult cat needs a can of wet food, and a cup of dry food, each day.
Kittens eat nearly as much, she said, and quickly go through litter.
When you multiply the amount of food and litter by the number of cats that need it, it’s easy to see why LCAS needs help, Conn said.
“There are hundreds of cats out in foster care. Cat food and litter are desperately needed,” Conn said.
LCAS is asking anyone who can assist by donating cat food and supplies to bring them to the shelter at 5600 Banner Drive in Fort Myers.
Brown said al donations may be left at the front door if the shelter is closed.
“They can leave it right at the front door because someone comes in every day to take care of the animals,” she said.
For more information, call Lee County Animal Services at 533-PETS.