The newest bus in the city of Shoreline isn’t driving anyone to school but it may help a few furry felines find new homes.
The Whiskers on Wheels (WOW) cat adoption bus replaces a small, old yellow school bus that served as the mobile adoption center for Whisker City, a cat rescue and adoption center founded 17 years ago by Shoreline resident April Brown.
“My wife had the idea to have a mobile adoption unit four years ago in December,” Mike Brown said. “Using a grant from Maddie’s Fund, we retrofitted a school bus so we could have cages in it.”
Another $50,000 grant from the same pet rescue foundation helped the Browns make the switch to a ‘98 Ford El Dorado mini-bus. Orange, black and white graphics adorned the outside of the bus while inside, perspective pet owners are welcome to take a close look at cats and kittens.
Laurie Conklin, an employee of Whisker City, held 2-month-old Dylan, a black kitten while WOW was parked outside of Petco near 205th Street and Aurora Avenue on Sept. 13. Although she only recently began work with the organization, she spent some time on the old WOW bus.
“We adopted Moe, our tabby, from WOW in 2004,” she said, allowing the small kitten to explore a small section of the bus floor.
Although WOW will be parking near local pet stores and businesses, residents can also expect to see the new bus during community events.
“We plan to be available to come to local events,” Mike said. “Just by being out we’re getting more cats adopted.”
The goal, he said, is for WOW to be out five days a week. A grand opening event will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 20 and 21 at Crown Hill Pet Supply, 9053 Holman Road N. in Seattle. A list of future bus locations will be posted on the Whisker City Web site, www.whiskercity.com.
Whisker City houses an average of 75 cats. Some are brought to Whisker City from overflowing shelters, others come as strays. Some have to be given away when owners can no longer care for them or move away. Many cats came to the shelter from Fort Lewis after the war in Iraq began, according to Mike.
But all of the felines have been spayed or neutered, have vaccinations and are “very adoptable,” he added. Kittens can be adopted for $95 and older cats are $85.
“The number one goal is to find a good match,” he said. “Just understand that by adopting a cat, you’re adopting a living thing.”
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