All joking aside, cats really do need humans' help.

At Homer Animal Shelter, quality food and clumping or clay litter rates high on the "needs" list. Cash donations can be used for veterinary care. There also are plenty of opportunities for hands-on volunteer work, whether it is cleaning cages and litter boxes, petting or brushing a cat or playing with the cats and kittens.

Students from McNeil Canyon Elementary School are a good example when it comes to volunteers. "They sweep floors, clean litter boxes, feed cats," said Sherry Bess of the shelter. "It's really wonderful. I think it teaches kids empathy when they can really see exactly what animals come into the shelter and why they come in."

The shelter also needs baby blankets or toilet seat covers for cat beds.

Most of all, the shelter needs good homes for cats.

"We always have the best cats that need homes," Bess said.

From the perspective of veterinarian Dots Sherwood of Homer Veterinary Clinic, cats need responsible owners.

"Spaying and neutering is the big thing," Sherwood said. "In doing that and being responsible pet owners, we wouldn't have cats and kittens left in dumpsters. We see more of that in the wintertime. Cats have kittens and then people are overwhelmed and don't have the resources to look after them."

Sherwood also stressed the need for developing cat-friendly indoor environments, extra caution with holiday decorations and wrapping, avoidance of toxic indoor plants and inserting microchips in cats, a procedure that can be done at the clinic for approximately $50.

Alley Cat Allies, a national advocate for feral and stray cats, offers the following winter safety tips for feral and stray cats:

* Build an outdoor shelter and a feeding station.

* Insulate the shelter against moisture as well as cold.

* Keep food and drinking water from freezing.

* Get educated about cats and stop the breeding cycle with trap-neuter-return.

For more information about the care of cats, contact the following:

* Alley Cat Allies, www.alleycat.org.

* American Bird Conservancy, www.abcbirds.org;

* American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, www.aspca.org.

* Homer Animal Shelter, open noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 235-3141;

* Homer Veterinary Clinic, 235-8960.