A motorist looking out his or her window while driving down Medical Center Parkway near the intersection at Bell Road might notice the adorable puppy dogs frolicking inside the fence at the Selma Animal Shelter, happily anticipating the moment a loving family makes them their own.

What they don’t see are the cute and cuddly kittens, which are generally kept indoors and out of view from passersby.

Though the lack of exposure from motorists has little to do with adoption statistics, Selma’s homeless felines are beginning to outnumber their counterparts.

“The overall adoption rate at the shelter is fairly decent and above average some months,” said Sherry Marter, the shelter’s director.

The ratio of dog to cat adoptions has surprisingly reached 5-to-1.

“There were forty two animals adopted in September which is more than one per day, but only seven were cats. I’m not sure why people aren’t adopting as many cats. We are becoming overrun with them and they need caring families to take them home,” Marter said.

Anyone interested in adopting a young and mischievous fur ball or a lazy, yet loving older cat, the Selma Animal Shelter encourages them to take a look at its growing selection.

The adoption process is simple and requires a nominal fee. The cost to adopt a cat from the Selma Animal Shelter is $50, and that includes a spaying or neuter plus its first wellness check at any of the following veterinary offices: Valley Creek Veterinary, Northside or Selma Animal Hospitals.

Dog adoptions are $60, and the same perks are included.

The shelter is also currently dealing with a quandary regarding neglected horses.

Nora Curtin, a shelter employee said,

“We have calls all the time requesting us to come pick up horses and other equines but we just don’t have the means to do it. We don’t have access to a trailer to haul them or any property where they could be safely kept and cared for.”

The animal shelter would appreciate anyone who could lend either of the aforementioned necessities concerning abandoned or mistreated horses.

For more information, or to provide assistance, call 877-2204.