With 70% of cats in animal shelters euthanized and only 2% returned to their owners, shelter cats always need homes. But this time of year is one of the hardest on the capacity of our nation’s shelter system. That’s why The American Humane Association named June Adopt-a-Cat Month. The American Humane Association says:
Each spring during “kitten season,” thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters across the country. That means your local shelter has tons of cute, cuddly newborns, in addition to all the mellow, older cats and everything in between. And the shelter staff are ready to help you adopt your very first cat — or to bring home a friend for another beloved cat!
American Humane Association also suggests that when adopting a cat, consider taking home two. Many of you may remember the seniors Louie and Talia from the early days of this blog. They came to our family as siblings who were found on the rooftop of my office building, and they were inseparable their whole lives. We never realized until they were gone and the rest of us weren’t as tightly bonded to each other the difference that acquiring cats in pairs made, and it’s something that we recommend doing if you can. There’s nothing like the lifelong love that a bonded pair of cats have for each other, but it doesn’t take away at all from their being wonderful companions to the humans in their lives.
Two of our loc
al shelters, Orange County Animal Services and Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando teamed up for big event this past Saturday to kick off the month where the lowered adoption fees to $15 per pet, and the head peep went to check it out. It was so crowded that she couldn’t get any photos of animals without crowds of people photobombing them, but that kind of crowded is a good thing. The more people there, the more homes for lots and lots of cats (and dogs) in need of homes. Orange County Animal Services alone reported 140 adoptions on Saturday, setting a one-day record. Twelve paws up for that!
One thing the head peep noticed at the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is that at least half of the cats had cage cards listing their reason for being surrendered as the owners moving. So it’s really important to take this month to adopt cats, but also to make sure it’s into forever homes. Adopting a cat isn’t a short-term commitment. Indoor cats can live to be 15 or more, and they can suffer from age-related ailments just like older humans do. It’s OK if you aren’t ready for that kind of commitment just yet. If you aren’t, maybe fostering for a local shelter is a better fit for you.
No matter whether you can adopt, foster, or just get out the word about this important month, get out there and make adopt-a-cat month count. Help make room for all of the cats who need room in shelters this time of year so they can have a turn to find their own forever homes.
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
