Whisker Rescue continues to thrive in Central Alberta and they have recently adopted out their 1,000th cat – a big feat for a small organization.

The organization reached this milestone after becoming a registered charity in June of 2008.

“We never thought we’d get to this number. It seems like an astronomical number of cats to care for and I remember the first couple of months we began adopting and we’d adopt 10 cats and I was so excited. Now we’re averaging 40 adoptions per month,” said Stacy Worobetz, president of Whisker Rescue Society Red Deer and Area.

“We are so busy. More people are learning we are out there – there’s good and bad that comes with that – we get a lot of support with donations being dropped off. But on the other hand, a very small number of people who get a hold of us want to adopt. About 90 per cent of people who call us literally want to give us a cat.”

In 2010 Whisker Rescue took in over 530 cats and kittens. Worobetz added at any given time the organization will have about 120 cats in their care.

The organization doesn’t have a large space so Worobetz relies on foster homes and takes cats in herself as well.

Currently, Whisker Rescue only has about five foster homes that they can rely on and the need for more to come on board is huge.

“We are definitely in need of more.”

Those interested in fostering can fill out an application on Whisker Rescue’s web site.

“The average stay is about eight weeks if we have a mom and babies. If it’s an adult cat we need them to be in a foster home anywhere from two weeks to one month,” said Worobetz. “We supply everything the foster homes need including food, litter, toys and bedding.

“Fostering is so rewarding but it can be emotional. The reward is knowing that they are helping to give a cat a better life.”

In the future, Worobetz said she hopes to continue growing her organization.

“I see us hosting more spay and neuter clinics. The message of spaying and neutering is not getting to people so we really need to tackle it at the core.”

Meanwhile, Worobetz’s passion for helping cats who are in need of homes shines through.

“I find cats to be such furry friends and misunderstood and often not as loved as most domestic pets. Cats really do need us more than people think. There’s such an over population of cats that are just discarded. There is such a need and I think that is what will drive me to keep going even when I’m exhausted.”

Whisker Rescue is also always in need of donations in the form of litter, canned food, toys, kennels, cleaning supplies and bedding are also welcome.

Cats can be viewed and adopted at number of facilities around Red Deer including Deer Park Vet Hospital (420 Allan St.), Piper Creek Vet Clinic (#1, 166 — 37428 RR 273) and Petsmart (5001 — 19 St.).

For more information visit www.whiskerrescue.com or email Stacy at whiskerrescue@live.com.

efawcett@reddeerexpress.com