This is purr-fect news!

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It's been over a year since the River Kitty Cat Cafe opened its doors in downtown Evansville. I've stopped in a few times and its always been a pleasant experience. Today, they are celebrating a milestone: their 100th adoption in partnership with the Vanderburgh Humane Society.

Here is the official press release:

"River Kitty Cat Café (now known as River Kitty Café & Wine Bar) opened in July of 2017. The Vanderburgh Humane Society was their selected cat adoption partner and assisted the owners every step of the way in planning design, procedures, and safety with regard to the shelter cats in their establishment. Their initial goal was 10 adoptions per month, which would have placed their 100th adoption around May 14th of this year.

The VHS team is so thrilled to announce that they have met and surpassed their goal ahead of schedule.

The 100th adoption has been processed (and the 101st immediately after!) as of Tuesday, May 8th. A black cat named Kong will go home with his new family on Wednesday, May 9th. Kong was originally surrendered to the VHS in July of 2017. After being adopted in September, he was returned just this past April for his previous owner’s personal problems. Now, he is looking forward to the second chapter of his life with his new mom Ashlyn Klemczewski!

Adult cats are one of the most difficult populations of animals that the VHS adopts out. (And as we all know, sometimes black cats are the most difficult of all the colors because there are so many!) Cats are so susceptible to stress and stress-related illness or behavior problems in the shelter setting. Plus, so many people want to adopt kittens and not adults.

The VHS takes in approximately 1700-1800 cats each year. Most of them find loving homes. But in 2015 and 2016, approximately 40-60 adult cats were euthanized for either a lack of space or minor behavioral problems that the shelter was not able to devote resources to addressing. Every year the live release rate improves, but there are almost always some cats who fall through the cats simply because there are so many cats and not enough cage space and adopters to save them all. In 2017, that number dropped below 30 cats, and River Kitty was only open for the second half of that year. River Kitty’s outstanding success has been the missing piece to help close that gap between life and death for adult VHS cats. Their business has significantly lifted the burden that constantly hangs over VHS staff and volunteers during “kitten season” every year: “Where in the world are we going to put all these cats?” 2018, the first full year of River Kitty’s operation, is on track to yield even better proportions of live outcomes for cats than ever before. And they show no sign of slowing down.

On Wednesday, May 9th, Kong’s new family will be picking him up at 3:30 pm and the media is invited. The VHS will be presenting River Kitty with a plaque commemorating their 100th adoption, and Kong’s new family will receive a cat carrier full of donated goodies. Both of these are surprises to the recipients. For interviews or photo opportunities ahead of time, please contact Amanda at the information above."

This is fantastic news and I'm sure Kong is very happy to go home to his new family!

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