Harry “Pawter” Wizards Unite to get Cats and Kittens Adopted

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[Updated] These kittens will cast a spell on you as the Pasadena Humane Society is holding a Harry Potter-themed adoption event for “Kitten Season.”

The adoption event has been extended through August 4, where the Humane Society will waive the adoption fees for 50 cats who have been transfigured into Harry Potter characters.

“For the last two weeks magic was released into the shelter as 50 of our cats have been transformed into Harry Potter characters,” said Jack Hagerman, vice president of communications for the Pasadena Humane Society. “The idea came about because a bunch of our staff is playing ‘Harry Potter Wizards Unite.’”

Harry Potter Wizards Unite is a destination-based augmented reality game that gives clues to lead people to various locations. It’s like ‘’Pokemon Go,’ only with a Harry Potter theme.

“Since so many people are playing the game, we thought we would leverage that interest in the community because we are literally bursting at the seams with kittens,” Hagerman said. “We have almost 500 cats we’re caring for and trying to find homes for.”

The Humane Society is one of the locations in the game and the staff is taking advantage of the visitors.

The cats are put in different Harry Potter-themed rooms in the Humane Society according to their personality. Humane Society behavior specialists “sorted” cats into Hogwarts houses affectionately renamed “Hufflepurr,” “Gryffinrawr,” “Kittenclaw” and “Slytherpaw” based on their personalities.

“What we did is we have three different cat rooms that are filled with kennels,” he said. “So we named those rooms after Harry Potter houses. We matched the cats that fit in those particular houses.

“Then we have other cat rooms that were turned into classrooms,” he said. “One room has crystal balls that the cats play with, they’re not really crystal balls of course. And there’s a potion room, and people are really into it. It’s a fun way to get folks interested in adoption.”

All other cats not part of the Harry Potter-themed promotion will be available for $25.

Kitten Season Follows Spring

The summertime is the busiest time for the Pasadena Humane Society and it’s a time when the organization is working hardest to get animals adopted.

In June, the shelters prep for the busiest day of the year — The Fifth of July — when any extra space is taken up by lost dogs who ran off out of fright from the fireworks the night before.

Summer also marks Kitten Season, a time when all shelters get more cats in than at any other time of the year.

“In springtime, love is in the air, so this is the time of the year when litters are born and there are so many feral cats who have not been spayed or neutered who are having litters of kittens twice or three times a year,” Hagerman said. “People find them and bring them into the shelter. We give them vaccinations and get them ready for adoption. Every year around this time we need to clear space to handle the influx. Last week we got 40 cats in on one day.”

The Harry Potter Wizards Unite cat adoption runs through July 28 at the Pasadena Humane Society, 361 S. Raymond Ave.

For more information go to https://pasadenahumane.org