Inside of Selma’s city limits are hundreds of stray or abandoned animals. Many of those animals remain on the streets, while others end up in the Selma Animal Shelter.

A small portion of the animals in the shelter are cats.

The cats currently occupy a small room with a wall of cages. They are allowed to walk freely for a small portion of the day. After Saturday, the cats will prance around in style, as Selma resident Shannon Lynch and other volunteers plan to renovate one of the cat adoption rooms.

The renovations will include a ledge next to the room’s front window, steps leading up to the window and a fresh coat of paint. Lynch also hopes to remove all of the cages.

The renovations are a minor change for the shelter, as the room is only a small portion of the shelter’s total area. However, the room is the most visible in the shelter. Renovations could help cat adoption rates and prevent cats from taking up a permanent residence in the shelter.

Not only do we applaud Lynch’s efforts, but we sincerely hope that volunteers and city personnel continue to improve the quality of the experience — not only for the animals, but also people — at the Selma Animal Shelter.

Dogs often inhabit the shelter in larger populations and perhaps a similar measure would help their adoption rates. Some organizations try to help by sending animals to other shelters, but making the Selma Animal Shelter a more attractive place to visit certainly wouldn’t hurt adoption rates.

An attractive appearance works to increase traffic regardless of the establishment. A dark, dingy store would likely receive less traffic than one that’s clean and welcoming. The shelter should continue trying to improve in an effort to improve adoption rates.