Cove Rescue has extra mouths to feed

About 30 kittens filled the back rooms of Cove Animal Rescue with tiny squeals of excitement. Some of the tabby kittens slept peacefully on plush pillows while tuxedo cats happily pawed at cat toys and other kittens with wide eyes and pointy ears crowded around the friendly staff ready to receive treats. The cage-free cat colony at Cove includes windows, skylights and cat doors to a screened-in area with chairs and couches. There are four cat rooms, each with climbing structures and comfy perches. Kittens have their own room with plenty of places to climb and play.
Established in 2015, the not-for-profit organization, located in the City of Glen Cove on 40 Shore Rd., has a mission to treat, heal and socialize their 45 cats, eight dogs and 30 kittens so people will want to adopt them.
Diane Connolly, the rescue’s manager, volunteer coordinator and adoption “guru” said most of the dogs they receive are found tied to fences, and cats dropped off by the side of their building in containers and boxes. But the majority of their animals come from walk-ins who say they can no longer house their beloved pets.
An unspayed female cat, her mate and all of their offspring can potentially produce two kittens per year with 2.8 surviving kittens, which can total 11,606,077 cats over nine years.
To help control the increase in cat population, the rescue offers a program where Glen Cove residents can approach the rescue with animals they don’t own and receive a certificate to have the animals spayed or neutered. Those animals are then brought to nearby veterinarians.

“People don’t understand what a difference it makes in an animal’s life,” Connolly said. “It lengthens their life; it’s just a positive thing to do.”
Those looking to adopt a furry friend shouldn’t expect a lengthy application process at Cove. The application, Connolly said, mainly encompasses contacting current or past veterinarians if applicable, establishing if someone rents or owns their own home, and gauging how strong the bond is between an animal and a prospective owner when the two first meet.
Since its inception, the rescue has had an outpouring of community support from walk-in donations, but with the recent economic hardships, it has decreased by 90 percent. The donations usually consisted of food, treats, toys, and cleaning supplies. While the shelter can sustain necessities for the animals, walk-in donations help save money if the funds need to allocated elsewhere.
“People are having hard times with bread being $5 a loaf,” Connolly said. “There’s less and less to be generous with but Glen Cove is just so good to us. They really are, it’s just that we have so many mouths to feed.”
Before the kittens came the rescue went through about 30 cans of food a day, now with extra tiny mouths to feed, the number has increased to about 40 cans of food.
The rescue is currently looking for more volunteers to help socialize the animals and clean the facilities. Those interested in donating to the rescue can find their wish list and the option to donate money directly to the shelter on their site: coveanimalrescue.org.