A Loving Home Coupe was found abandoned in a high school parking lot. As a malnourished newborn kitten whose eyes weren’t yet open, his fate was uncertain. After Coupe’s rescue, he needed to be bottle fed every two hours and was put up for adoption after ten weeks of rehabilitation. Coupe was featured in an issue of the Press-Citizen before a family finally adopted him. Unfortunately, many stories don’t end as happily. In 2004 alone, the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center received over 2,300 animals that had been abandoned there or returned after being adopted or purchased. Approximately 1,200 of these animals were then adopted or reclaimed while another 600 were humanely put down because of behavioral problems or illnesses that kept them from being “adoptable.” Though these numbers seem bleak, life at the shelter is as satisfying as it can be for the animals there. Many of them are free to roam around the building as they please. Those that are not are kept in cages with a card explaining that they are “frisky” or don’t get along well with other animals. The shelter’s cats seem to have the most enjoyable time there. A room is set aside for those who are allowed out of cages filled with toys and cat playgrounds. While the shelter tries to make life there as pleasant as possible, every attempt is made to adopt the animals into more permanent homes where they will be properly taken care of for the remainder of their lives.
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