The SPCA's Executive Director has been scrambling to get the word out. Abigail Smith says they have twice as many cats there than normal, with a grand total of nearly 450 cats. Smith says, “The only thing worse really would be an outbreak of some kind. God forbid that doesn't happen but being over capacity is tough. It's stressful on the animals that are here.”

The SPCA has come up with creative ways to handle the extra animals. Some pets are in the kitchen. Others are in the laundry room. Adoption fees have now been cut in half: it's now $75 for a dog and $50 for a cat.

Because of the overcrowding, the SPCA in Ithaca had to close for several days recently to catch up on the work. And anyone who wants to drop off a pet has to do it by appointment only.

The Tompkins County SPCA is located at 1640 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca NY 14850.