They have wonderful names like Alfonse and Bongo, Boo-hoo and Hephestus, Noir and even Mowgli.

It wasn’t anything they said or did that brought them here. Some were strays, some caused allergies in their previous homes, and some were dropped off without a word.

What they all have in common is that they’re “kit-teens” — young cats, aged 5 to 12 months, who are partially into their adult bodies but no longer the little fluff-balls they were at six or eight weeks.

They’ve been with us for many months, but they still haven’t found their forever homes.

It’s hard to be the “middle kid” — neither the brand-new kitten nor the older, more learned one. They still have so much kitten energy, but they look all grown-up and ready to settle down.

They don’t understand why they’re being overlooked, or why their youthful energy is being spent in a kennel. They like batting over catnip toys, and given the opportunity, they’d gladly chase a paper wad down a hallway, or dabble in their water dish until it had sprayed all around the bowl, or make tiny noises at the birds in the feeder outside a bright, sunny window.

But instead, they peer out the bars of the kennels, watching hopefully as each visitor passes them by in the search for someone younger, or someone older.

We at the Lawrence Humane Society decided to do something to help them, but we need you to help us, too.

Throughout April, we have been offering a kit-teen special: For any kitten aged 5 months to one year, we’ve lowered the adoption price to $20. Considering this includes the spay/neuter fee, it’s an incredible deal. All you need to offer in return is an open heart, a lot of love and a promise that the kitten or kittens of your choice will be well-cared for by you and your veterinarian.

Why now?

Because it’s spring. And we all know where young men’s fancies turn when the weather warms up. It works on people, and it’s the same with felines.

In other words, we’re gearing up for our annual bumper crop of kittens to come through our doors. We already know we’re going to need room.

Each spring, our staff is inundated with litters created by people who won’t get their pets spayed or neutered, by mother felines who abandon their litters, or even just one or two of their kittens and by feral cats whose litters are caught and brought to us.

As soon as each of those kittens is weaned, we’re going to need a place to put them so our visitors can see them to their best advantage.

And of course, the fact is, we want every one of those animals in our care to eventually have a good home.

I can personally testify to the fun a kit-teen brings. My Deena was just about a year old when I brought her home and aside from the fact that she was charming anyway, I fell in love with her energy. She hopped and ran, batted and jumped, chattered and stalked and when she was done, she knew exactly where to come for a snuggle and an ear in which to put her tiny, cold purring nose.

To this day, she’s still my cuddliest cat (although Charlie now vies for that position as well).

On behalf of Teasdale and Liam, Kwan Yin, Hero, Drake, Domino and Darius, we’d like to ask whether you have room for four more feet in your home. The price is low, but the love is priceless.

Please visit us before April 30 to help them out at this special price. You can always see who’s available by checking http://www.lawrencehumane.org/adoption/cats.shtml. Each animal has a link to his or her own page on Petfinder.com, so you can get more information. We’d also be happy to visit with you in person if you come down to visit. Our staff members know the animals well and give you specific information about each one.

We’re counting on you, and so are they.