By Jamie Karras

I LIKE THE CAT BETTER: A young boy, playing with a blue balloon, checks out a dog but ends up taking home Maquesta, a three-legged cat. / Photo by Jamie Karras

Emily Nittrouer knows everything about cats, and probably every other animal at that.

The Nittrouers already have two cats, but Emily, an Edith Bowen second-grader, has recently convinced her mom that they should be in the market for another one. This was why they were on the prowl at the pet adoption Saturday at Mount Logan Middle School.

Emily, if she could, "would have a house full of animals," her mother said.

April, the younger of the Nittrouers' two cats, Emily said, acts like a teen-ager.

"She's a mean cat because bites a lot," said Emily, who aspires to become a veterinarian someday.

"I love taking care of animals," she said as she eyed the many cats available for adoption.

Along with Emily, animal lovers young and old came to check out the action.

Utah State University students attempting to complete a project for their human resource class invited the Cache Humane Society and Four Paws to bring animals to the middle school with hopes of finding many of the animals new homes.

Basic awareness is what is needed, said Paul Mueller, a member of the board of directors of the Humane Society. Homelessness among animals is an increasing problem in this area.

Maqueseta, a cat that hobbles around on three legs, was ogled over by a family who hopefully will adopt her, said Kitty White, vice president of Four Paws.

When Maquesta was found her leg had been broken and healed wrong. Breaking her leg again and resetting it would be far too expensive for the non-profit organization.

Many families willing to adopt prefer kittens to cats and puppies to dogs, so when the opportunity comes around for older animals, and in this case Maquesta, it's huge.

Chester, a black and tan coonhound, has been adopted a couple of times but because of the abuse he is suspected to have suffered the adoptions have never been permanent.

These are just two examples of the sad faces that can be hard to walk away
from.

Prices for the animals were a fraction of the cost of buying them otherwise.

The price included spay and neutering and all the necessary shots.

The Cache Humane Society has been in the valley for more than 30 years and is now finally getting a shelter. Right now many of its animals are with foster families, but even when the shelter is finished many of the animals will probably remain with their respective foster families because the atmosphere is better for them.

The center will be open to the public for tours and other such activities as to increase awareness.

Duane Bosworth, an avid animal lover as well as an organizer of the event, felt that this particular project was the most feasible.

"We know there are a lot of animal lovers out there," Bosworth said.

Anyone interested in adopting a pet can contact the Cache Humane Society or Four Paws for more information.

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