'It’s so worth the wait': High demand for kitten adoptions in Halifax

The waitlist for kittens is more than 100 at Bide Awhile in Dartmouth, N.S.

Many Nova Scotians like Deb Day have been waiting months to adopt.

"There is a social need to take care of them. It’s easy to go to a breeder and a lot of people prefer that but I like the thought of these little ones that move your heart because they don't have a place to go to,” says Day says.

After several months of waiting, Deb Day finally gets to bring her little Zoe home.

"With the population comes people who are looking to have pets so Bide Awhile has been inundated with calls for kittens and we have about 196 on our waiting list,” says Liesje Somers Blonde, executive director with the non-profit.

Bide Awhile says they are struggling to keep up with the calls for kittens due to the limited resources, space and staffing.

"Sometimes we were so full we struggled. We used to have the 12 Strays of Christmas, which were the 12 longest residents in the shelter, and we no longer have that,” says Blonde. "We have 50 kittens in the house that are in varying degrees of availability. So when they first come in, they do a 12-to-14 day hold where they are vaccinated twice, dewormed twice, flea and tick treated, microchipped and spayed or neutered.”

The demand for kittens can be seen across the Halifax Regional Municipality.

"During kitten season we are going to see that influx in the spring but again kittens can have kittens and so every day we a lot of kittens come in,” Sarah Lyon, Nova Scotia SPCA chief communications and marketing officer

Shelters like the SPCA say they have had more kittens adopted this year than last.

"Kitten adoptions are always popular. We are a little bit out of our kitten adoptions right now but year to date we have adopted more kittens in 2024 than 2023,” says Lyon.

While it may take some extra time, for adopters like Deb Day, patience pays off.

"You just have to be patient and it's so worth the wait,” says Day.

The process of adopting an older adult cat is much quicker. People can book an appointment and 48 hours after meeting a new companion, they can bring them home.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.