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A slew of shelter-residing felines with monikers such as Gypsy, Jimmy, Jasper and Sunny are hoping a “fee-free” adoption event this weekend will attract some people who aren’t attracted only to the cuteness of kittens. Geared at finding homes for adult cats — six months or older — the fourth annual “Catstravaganza” will offer hopeful pet owners the chance to save on adoption fees while meeting their next four-legged friend. With an overload of cats, local shelters are hosting the event weeks earlier than last year. Officials from the Jackson County Animal Shelter and Medford’s Southern Oregon Humane Society will waive adoption fees Saturday and Sunday, while offering more than four dozen cats essentially “free to a good home.” Southern Oregon Humane Society, 2910 Table Rock Road, will be open both days from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Jackson County Animal Services, 5595 S. Pacific Highway, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For Jackson County Animal Services, the population of adult cats has been so plentiful in recent months they’ve transferred some to surrounding big cities. Shelter Manager Barb Talbert said “kitten season” has been coming earlier and lasting longer. “We actually, about three to four weeks ago, were so overrun that we were turning away stray cats, so we had to really start thinking about what we were going to do,” she said. “There’s still some more time in kitten season. We were able to transfer some cats up to Portland and have had some good adoption rates, but we’re still up over 20 cats who we are hoping to find some homes for.” She said finding homes for the older cats would provide multiple benefits. “If we’re able to get some of them off to their new homes this weekend, we can take in owner-surrendered cats that we’ve been turning away for the last six weeks. We have between 40 and 50 in foster care, including kittens who are being socialized for adoption, and our shelter is pretty much at capacity.” Talbert said the older cats at the shelter include a 12-year-old Russian blue named Gypsy. While Gypsy acts much younger than her years, she needs to find a family where she’ll be the lone feline. “She isn’t the kind of cat where someone says, ‘Oh, I’ve got room for one more cat,’” Talbert said. “She kind of needs to be the one and only. She’s not a fan of other cats.” At Southern Oregon Humane Society, a 12-year-old cat named Jasper, a tabby and white male, is friendly and loves people and other cats. His special needs include a senior diet for kidney health and medication for arthritis. Operations Manager Ryan Johnson said senior cats are grateful to be adopted, and their personalities, unlike kittens, are already evident. “It’s definitely the most difficult for us to place our senior cats and cats with medical issues, but there are some really great cats available for adoption,” Johnson said. “Kittens are great, but they don’t stay little for long.” After last year’s event, Johnson said, the shelter found some relief for waiting lists and foster homes, just as the county shelter had. “We are on a waiting list pretty much year-round, and we’re always able to make the most headway after this event,” he said. “If we find homes for all the cats this weekend, we’ll be able to bring in, immediately, 15 cats off the waiting list. “(Catstravaganza) is always a huge help. It’s great to see the cats we have go into new homes; but even more wonderful to bring in 15 more cats and know we’ll be able to help that many more cats find their new homes.” A few of the cats looking for homes Here’s a rundown of some of the nearly 50 cats waiting to charm new owners at Southern Oregon Humane Society and Jackson County Animal Services this weekend. The Catsravaganza event runs Saturday and Sunday. Qualified adopters can pick their favorite cat and take them home without the usual adoption fees. In addition to the two dozen cats available at Jackson County Animal Services, a dozen dogs who have been lingering at the shelter will be available for reduced adoption fees this weekend. Cats at SOHumane Jasper A 12-year-old cat with tabby and white patches, Jasper was surrendered after his owners lost their home. He was adopted by people with aggressive cats and brought him back to the shelter. Jasper gets along great with other cats, so well in fact that he’s a “floor cat” in the adult room, allowed to wander freely. His only special needs are a senior diet for kidney health and arthritis medication. Jimmy Eight-year-old Jimmy is described as a big “teddy bear” of a cat. Somewhat shy and observant, Jimmy’s owner passed away, and he’s been at the shelter since February. Aside from having a “little extra to love,” and needing weight-management kitty food, he’s a big, solid black love of a cat. Puma Eleven-year-old Puma was adopted from SoHumane in 2008 and turned up at the county shelter, where her microchip prompted a call for return to SoHumane. A brown and black tabby in excellent health, Puma isn’t a big fan of other cats and would prefer a low-stress household where she’s the one and only. Cats at Jackson County Animal Services Gypsy A 10-year-old “Russian blue” female, Gypsy was left behind by her owners when they moved, and neighbors dropped her off at the shelter in May. Independent and fond of human companionship, Gypsy is tolerant of dogs but not a fan of other cats. Ebony A 5-year-old with long, black hair, Ebony showed up at the shelter in March, pregnant with kittens. Ebony gets along with other cats, enjoys occasional lap snuggles and is always up for interacting with humans. Sunny Three-year-old Sunny, an orange and white male with long hair, has been at the shelter since July after he was rescued from some dogs that were trying to maul him. Handsome and sweet, Sunny’s only special requirement will be a special food to cut down on hairballs, and regular grooming. Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Email her at [email protected].