The city's cattery is about to get a whole lot swankier.
On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council approved buying nearly $300,000 in high-end materials for housing abandoned cats at its Front Street animal shelter.
The Corian materials used to build cages for about 60 cats will help keep the animals healthy and be part of "a showpiece" shelter that will promote adoptions, according to managers of the city's animal care services.
Animal shelter officials originally had projected caging to cost $100,000, but asked the council to approve increasing the amount to $293,852.
The funding was available within the animal shelter's budget, officials said. "We can really impress people with the quality of care we provide," said Hector Cazares, manager of animal care services. "This time, it's the cats' turn."
The city's cat population is exploding, with more than 900 cats ending up at the city shelter in May alone, animal shelter officials said.
Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, who supported the extra funding, showed the council a photo of her two cats. One was adopted from the shelter, while the other was found by Mayor Heather Fargo's husband behind a building in Sheedy's district.
That photo provided a brief moment of political jabbing.
Councilwoman Lauren Hammond, who is supporting Fargo in her re-election bid this November, had this comment for Sheedy, who is supporting Fargo's opponent, Kevin Johnson:
"If you can find a picture of Sandy and the mayor's cat together, it's more likely than finding a picture of Sandy and the mayor together," Hammond said.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1085.
