MONTOUR FALLS, NY (WENY) -- June is Adopt a Cat/Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, and the Humane Society of Schuyler County has numerous cats and kittens available for adoption. Since animals like cats and dogs can have multiple babies in one litter, Humane Society of Schuyler County workers are stressing the importance of spaying and neutering your pets.

"It helps keep the population down, which helps shelters like us that are overrun with cats. It can [also] prevent cancers and certain infections in animals," said the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Humane Society of Schuyler County, Lindsey Day.

Cats, especially kittens, are often dropped off at shelters. Once in a while, an animal has a unique arrival.

"This little guy [Hitch] decided he was going to hitch a ride in a gentleman’s car engine, so he took an eight-mile ride. Fortunately, he [wasn't hurt.] Now, he’s in our care, we’ve been calling him Hitch — short for Hitchhiker. He's about two months old, so it'll probably be a month to six weeks before he's ready to go," said the Animal Care Associate (Cats) for the Humane Society of Schuyler County, Lily Gold.

According to Gold and Day, 'Kitten Season' is almost year-round, and really picks up in May/June. Shelters like the Humane Society of Schuyler County in Montour Falls are full of cats and kittens and as a result, they go through supplies quickly.

"We often take in close to 300 [cats/kittens] over the course of a year and most of those are kittens. But these guys, they do take a lot of care, it takes a little longer to be ready for the adoption floor because they need to be at least three months old to go through the spay/neuter surgery," said Gold.

To help with the local cat population, the Humane Society of Schuyler County hosts two spay/neuter clinics every month.

Day also talked about the benefits of adopting an animal from a shelter instead of buying a purebred.

"All of our cats and dogs are up to date on their vaccines, any deworming, flea/parasite treatment they need and they’ll be spayed/neutered. We’re also very clear on any special needs or any health conditions that we might’ve noticed," said Day.

The Humane Society of Schuyler Co. is always accepting donations. Right now, they're looking for wet and dry cat/kitten food, litter, and treats.

The shelter is open Monday, Thursday, & Friday from 10-1 p.m., Saturdays from 10-4 pm., and Sundays from 2-5 p.m.