OTHELLO — It’s kitten season!

Those are the words you will hear at just about every animal shelter this time of year. Adams County Pet Rescue is no different. In fact, there are currently 20 people on the waiting list with cats that need brought to the shelter because, at this time, they are at capacity with almost 100 cats and kittens.

“Someone called and got really rude because we couldn’t take his kittens,” Erika Salmeron, an employee at ACPR, said. “We would love to take all of them, but there is no room.”

The center works with PetSmart to ship kittens to Seattle, Lynnwood, Puyallup and Tacoma. It’s a program that puts extra money in the ACPR coffers, as well as provides homes to many kittens.

“We get lots of cats from out of town because everyone is full,” said Isabella Pruneda, ACPR employee. “Every day, we get a couple calls, but we just don’t have the space.”

In bigger city areas, such as around Seattle, many apartment dwellers prefer to have cats, rather than dogs. So, it is a win-win situation for both PetSmart and ACPR. And all those kittens have been spayed and neutered.

“That’s one way people can help,” Salmeron said. “Even if feral, it means they can’t reproduce.”

It’s a step that opens up more space at the shelter, especially with so many at capacity. In September, ACPR will sponsor a low-cost spay and neuter clinic. More information on that will be announced in a future article.

There are downfalls to having that many cats in an enclosed space. The more cats they have, the more that are sick, as seen by the overcrowded isolation room. And since the kittens have been cooped up, they need someone to play with.

“We are always looking for volunteers for our bottle babies,” said Thalia Sparrell, another employee of ACPR. “People can volunteer for that or to help socialize the kittens.”

Of course, they can also use help with everyday chores, such as cleaning. Anyone who wants to volunteer can get an application on line. Volunteering is also a way to get a foot in the door. Sparrell said she volunteered for three years before getting hired on. But Pruneda said they still have to deal with people who get upset with them if there is no room for more animals.

“Someone left a message on Facebook that if we didn’t take their kittens, they would leave them in the streets,” she said. “We even had a kitten we had to turn down dumped in front of the building after hours.”

Giselle Hernandez, who also works at ACPR, said she often fosters two or three bottle babies at a time.

“If someone brings in lots of animals, we often end up working until 9 or 10 at night to get them settled,” Hernandez said.

One thing all the employees agree on is that taking care of both the kittens and puppies is no different from watching children.

“People think we just play all day,” Hernandez said. “There’s a lot more to it.”

Adams County Pet Rescue is located at 1962 Bench Road near the fairgrounds. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The facility is closed Mondays and Thursdays.

To contact ACPR, call (509) 488-5514 or email adopt@AdamsCountyPetRescue. Be sure to visit the website at www.adamscountypetrescue.com and like their Facebook page.