Three hours after Kitty Harbor opened its doors Saturday, 55 kittens and cats found new homes. It was the beginning of the non-profit shelter's last open weekend until May 2 and there was an extra push. Over 250 people showed that morning.

Kitty Harbor, a self-standing building located just north of the Spokane Bridge on Harbor Avenue, is home base for the Animal Safe Haven Association, and is owned and operated by West Seattle resident Delyn Kosbab. A retired high-voltage electrician, she said she has rescued cats since she was 4 years old.

"I do a lot of hard cases, cats with viruses and other problems, get them well, and adopted." The shelter spays and neuters and the critters are checked carefully by veterinarians prior to adoption.

"I will only adopt to people who already have a cat or dog because a single kitten in a home often grows into a brat cat. We are a non-kill facility. Shelters do the best they can, but still the euthanization rate is high in general and I cannot emphasize enough that people need to focus on spaying and neutering their cats."