Increasing vet costs straining Columbus cat rescue

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The beds at Colony Cats, located just outside Dublin, are filled with cats and kittens waiting to find their forever homes.

The volunteers at the pet rescue take in animals from off the street, but doing that work is getting more expensive, according to Executive Director Mona McKinniss.

“We have had to cut back on the number of cats we can take in because they all have to have vet care when they come in the door,” McKinniss said. “Most of them need to be spayed or neutered, vaccines, testing, a lot of them will have health issues or need dental work.”

McKinnis said vet care bills are the nonprofit’s biggest expense.

“And they have gone up probably at least 25%,” she said. “A tray of vaccines about eight months ago was $150 and now it is $200 and obviously, we go throu