WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Inside Purrfect Mugs Cat Café, a few felines rescued by the nonprofit Whiskers World, relax with no idea their soft food supply could be in jeopardy.
"Some of the problem is we have cats that don't have teeth, so it's hard for those types to eat hard food," said Brenda Buckler, Whiskers World president.
Buckler says they've noticed dwindling supplies of soft cat food since the start of the pandemic.
"'Cause now we're having a hard time finding it, period."
"We don't have a reason why. We asked the store people, and they don't have a reason," added Donna Fountain, Whiskers World vice president.
At the Shoprite in Moosic, the shelves that normally hold soft cat food are mostly empty, with some cans here and there.
Reporter: "You went out looking for cat food for your daughters?"
Patricia Lendosky, Scranton: "Cats, yes."
Reporter: "And how did you do?"
Lendosky: "I didn't."
"It started with Friskies and Purina. And now you're basically down to only dry cat food," added Ed Pearsall, Shoprite inventory manager.
Pearsall says there are several areas of shortage.
"Shortages at the warehouse, there's a shortage on aluminum, there's a shortage at production facilities because they can't get the ingredients."
Along with transportation and worker shortages as well.
"So we've been seeing this gradually for over the last three or four months, and then when we do get the cat food in, people are buying more than what they really need," Pearsall said.
Pearsall didn't have an exact reason why other items that come in cans, including dog food, are fully stocked.
"It's just a production issues on different warehouses with different items," he said.
In the meantime, owners and shelters say they're doing what they can to get their cats the food they need.
"I mean, if worse comes to worst, we'll just have to make chicken soup and puree it for those guys," said Buckler.
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