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Black cat adoptions held up by holiday Photo by Bob Pennell Jackie won't see the other side of these bars until after Halloween, but the Southern Oregon Humane Society resident may be better off that way. The society's shelter places a hold on adoptions of black -- and, this year, white -- cats until after the holiday. By JIM DAVIS Tabitha the cat is off limits for another dozen days. So are Jackie, Jason and Jewell, and all the other black cats at the Southern Oregon Humane Society in Medford. The shelter won't adopt out any black or white cats until the day after Halloween for fear that people will mistreat the felines, said Bill Templeman, the shelter's executive director. "We have concerns because of Halloween," Templeman said. "This tends to be a ritual type season for people who are into the occult." In the past, volunteers have seen cats come into the shelter after the holiday that had been burned or mutilated, Templeman said. "We don't want it to happen to our cats," Templeman said. "We don't want it to happen to any cat, but at least we have control over these." The shelter puts a two-week, no-adopt period on black cats and kittens and has done so for the past seven years. This year, the shelter is stopping the adoptions of white cats for the same reason. The Committed Alliance to Strays -- CATS -- has had the same policy for black cats since it opened nine years ago, said Bev Eaton, shelter manager. "Simply because we have concerns that people may have ulterior motives for them, for Halloween, you know, satanic motives," Eaton said. Both of the shelters maintain a strict no-kill policy, meaning none of the cats given to the shelters are euthanized. The Jackson County Animal Shelter, however, will adopt out any cat. Colleen Macuk, program director at the shelter in Talent, said her workers take in as many as 30 or 40 cats per day and they need to adopt out as many as possible. The other shelters have valid concerns about possible mutilations or burning of cats at this time of year, Macuk said. However, she said, she thinks people who would use an animal in an occult sacrifice or ritual probably wouldn't adopt the animal through a shelter, where applicants to adopt are carefully screened. Her agency also checks up on adopted animals after the fact, making follow-up calls and checking with veterinarians. Jackson County Animal Control also urges residents to keep their cats -- especially black ones -- inside at this time of year, Macuk said. "A lot of what we see is kids and stuff pulling what they think are pranks," Macuk said, "and the animals suffer for it." If anyone wants to adopt a Tabitha or a Jackie, a Jason or a Jewell, it's still possible, Templeman said. The Southern Oregon Humane Society and CATS will hold those cats and kittens for their adopting owners until the day after Halloween. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA