APS: Cleo the Cat

Cleo the cat grew up in a loving home with her brother, Caesar. But when her human parents decided they no longer wanted cats in their home, the 6-month-old kittens were brought to the Animal Protection Society of Durham.

Cleo and Caesar lived together at the shelter for two months in various cages, cat rooms and kitty condos. They were inseparable.

While the faint sounds of barking dogs on the other side of the shelter made their new home a bit more chaotic, Cleo and Caesar were resilient and remained loving, playful kittens.

Then an adoptive parent came to the shelter looking for just one cat. He chose Caesar.

When Caesar was put in a crate to leave the shelter with his new owner, Cleo jumped on top of the crate to go with her brother. But this new home only had space for one cat. So Cleo was left behind.

Cleo the cat grew up in a loving home with her brother, Caesar. But when her human parents decided they no longer wanted cats in their home, the 6-month-old kittens were brought to the Animal Protection Society of Durham.

Cleo and Caesar lived together at the shelter for two months in various cages, cat rooms and kitty condos. They were inseparable.

While the faint sounds of barking dogs on the other side of the shelter made their new home a bit more chaotic, Cleo and Caesar were resilient and remained loving, playful kittens.

Then an adoptive parent came to the shelter looking for just one cat. He chose Caesar.

When Caesar was put in a crate to leave the shelter with his new owner, Cleo jumped on top of the crate to go with her brother. But this new home only had space for one cat. So Cleo was left behind.

The Animal Protection Society of Durham works to ensure none of Durham’s animals are left on the streets.

As an “open admission” shelter, they take in all animals regardless of their health or temperament. This means a stray animal found on the side of the road, rescued from an abusive home or any other situation within Durham County is taken into the shelter.

In 2016, APS took in 5,022 animals.

Thanks to adopters in the community, 2,591 of these animals found homes.

There were still 2,398 animals that had to be euthanized. While this number is disheartening, APS is working to educate the community about euthanasia and ways it can be reduced:

1. Redemption by owners: If your pet is missing, check with the shelter to see if it is there! Only 20% of stray animals are redeemed by their owners. While that number is low, only 2% of stray cats are redeemed by their owners.
2. Adoption: If you’re looking for a cuddly, cute addition to your family – get a pet from the shelter! The animals there have all received medical care and are ready to be adopted into your family.
3. Spaying/neutering owned animals: If you are a current pet-owner, make sure your pet has appropriate medical care and spay or neuter them. APS says that this, in addition to providing medical assistance and tagging and microchipping animals can reduce euthanasia rates.

Even though Caesar and Cleo were separated, Cleo’s story does have a happy ending. The same day that Caesar was adopted, a woman named Takela Williams came to the shelter looking for a companion. Takela immediately connected with Cleo’s sweet, playful personality and adopted her later that day.

If you’re interested in adopting a pet, you can go by APS during business hours to visit the animals, or check out their website for an up-to-date list of adoptable pets looking for a new home.