The title of this column is somewhat misleading as the animal shelter is nearly out of animals to adopt. The past week saw the departure of Penny, the 18-year-old cat, who was taken home by a kind volunteer; Daisy, who having had two different owners previously, went to what we all trust will be her forever home; and Pepper, the young cat with the Dalmation markings who also departed for new digs. O.B., aka Diva, has the cat room all to herself. The animal shelter personnel are rejoicing in the singular success of the adoption program and wish long and healthy lives to our former tenants.

Mrs. Whiskers is in waiting mode as she nears the end of her pregnancy. We soon will have small kittens to cuddle. Lucky Mrs. Whiskers has a new owner waiting for her postpartum. She will be called Mrs. Ginger after her adoption in deference to her coat color.

Last week we received two male guinea pigs from the Vineyard Haven shelter. We named one Ralph and one Ed after the two main characters in The Honeymooners. Ralph turned out to be a lucky name as he was adopted within the week of his arrival by a woman whose father’s name was Ralph. Now, we are hoping that the name Ed has some significance to a potential guinea pig owner. It looks like the animal shelter will be having a steady supply of guinea pigs needing homes due to the unexpected birth of a litter in the aforementioned Vineyard Haven shelter. One caveat for anyone interested in adopting a guinea pig: you must supply your own cage for the critter as the animal shelter is out of housing for these animals.

The annual rabies clinic takes place at two Island locations on Saturday, April 5. Beginning at 10 a.m. the volunteer vets will be available at the animal shelter in Edgartown or the fire station in West Tisbury to inoculate your animals against this dreadful disease. A single dose costs $20, and if you bring your pet’s previous rabies certificate, this shot is good for three years. Quite a bargain! The doors will not open before 10 a.m. and will close at 1 p.m. in Edgartown and at noon in West Tisbury.

Shelter hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday. The telephone number is 508-627-8662.

Contributions are always gratefully accepted; the shelter is funded solely by donations. Please make checks out to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard; the mailing address is P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539.