By BARB BEANEY

Contributing Writer

Our featured pets for this week are Moana and Cane.

Moana is a beautiful little three-month-old tabby and white kitten. And my, what big eyes she has! This precious girl loves to explore, play with her kitty buddies and snuggle up with visitors. Moana was a tiny bottle baby when she was brought to the humane society and she was raised in one of our wonderful foster homes. So Moana has been very well socialized and received the best of care. She is now ready to spend the rest of her life in her forever home with a loving family.

Cane is a wonderful one-year-old pitbull and beagle mix that has been at the humane society for about three months. He is one half of a dynamic duo. His brother, Bear, was also surrendered back in May. These fellows have always been together and we are working hard to adopt them into the same home. Cane and Bear are very friendly and always have that big smile on their faces. They love to romp and run in the exercise yard, but they also love to interact with their handlers and anyone who will come to visit. Do you have the extra room in your heart and home to keep these special boys together?

There are several things that people should consider before adopting a pet. On our adoption application we have some questions that we want adopters to ask themselves before adding a pet to the family. First of all, do you have time for a pet? Some pets are higher maintenance that others. But all require love and attention and some amount of time for feeding, grooming and exercise.

Can you afford a pet? The adoption fee is only a small fraction of what a pet will cost during its lifetime. Pet food, supplies, and regular preventative veterinary care are required. Even the best cared for cat or dog can have an unexpected illness or accident needing additional medical attention.

Are you willing to care for a pet for its lifetime? Dogs and cats can live 15 years or longer. Are you able to commit to a pet for that length of time and care for her in old age? Pet ownership is very rewarding, but it should be well thought out in advance.

Low-cost, high-quality spay/neuter surgery is available for pet owners with low and fixed incomes. Call our Happy Paws Clinic today at (859) 691-1137 for an appointment. Please help control pet over-population by having your pet spayed or neutered.