PITY THE KITTY NEWBORNS FACE LIKELY DEATH AS CAT LITTERS FLOOD SHELTERS.

Byline: Martin Kuz Staff Writer

The kitten population in Los Angeles animal shelters has more than doubled with the onset of spring, and kennel officials fear that most of those animals won't be adopted.

The six shelters that make up the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services average 50 cats each - up from the normal average of 20 a day - and the kitten population will double again by month's end, department spokeswoman Jackie David said.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles saw a 10 percent jump in the number of kittens at its four shelters last week. As May - known as kitten season by animal experts - wears on, the shelter expects a 40 percent to 50 percent jump, society Vice President Rose Channer said.

``We're getting day-old litters in cardboard boxes left outside our shelters,'' she said. ``People just dump their kittens off when we're closed.''

The seasonal swelling of the kitten population spells good news for anyone looking to adopt a cat, but the increase also means more unclaimed kittens will be euthanized.

The number of cats put down roughly doubles during this time of year, with shelters euthanizing an average of 20 to 40 kittens each week through early June, David said.

The city's shelter in North Hollywood on Tuesday held several litters of kittens ranging in age from a few days to a few weeks. One litter of five gray tabby kittens shared a kennel with their mother and slept side by side, looking like a clump of sweat socks.

Angela Carrigan of Reseda visited the shelter to make sure a few cats get a good home. She adopted Cally, a pregnant 1-year-old calico. When Cally gives birth to her litter, Carrigan, 33, plans to adopt them out via her Web site - www.rabbitadoption.org.

``I can't save all the cats here,'' she said, lifting Cally out of her shelter kennel, ``but if I can take one home, that helps.''

The American Veterinary Medical Association estimated that there were 745,000 domestic cats and just more than 1 million stray cats in Los Angeles last year.

The city's pet overpopulation ordinance, aimed at reducing the number of strays in the city, took effect in November. The policy requires cat and dog owners to buy a $100 permit to breed their pets. Owners who violate the ordinance can be fined up to $500 and charged with a misdemeanor.

The permit requirement appears to be having little effect in diminishing the cat population, so animal advocates urge pet owners to help out.

``If you're going to get a cat, have it spayed or neutered and keep it indoors,'' Channer said. ``When they're indoors they live longer - they don't get diseases, they don't run into the street.

The cost to adopt cats through the animal society is $60, a fee that includes a free first physical exam for the animal, a pet carrier and cat chow.

The city charges between $31 and $68 to adopt a cat. The price depends on the animal's age, whether it has been fixed and whether it came to the kennel as a stray.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) This kitten at the East Valley Animal Shelter in North Hollywood awaits adoption Tuesday. Most of the kittens flooding local shelters will be destroyed.

(2) Cally the cat, who is expecting a litter of kittens, has found a home with Angela Carrigan of Reseda.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer