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June – the Month to Celebrate our Feline Friends

June 03, 2009, 7:1AM MT

Find a new furry companion at your local shelter this month

Find a new furry companion at your local shelter this month

by Barbara J. Koll, Best Friends Network Volunteer

This month, the ASPCA and American Humane encourage you to find a lifelong companion at your local animal shelter. It’s the perfect time to promote cat adoptions because the spring and summer months typically bring a huge influx of cats and kittens to animal shelters across the country.

June has been designated “Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month” by the ASPCA and “Adopt-a-Cat Month” by American Humane. During June, animal shelters and rescue organizations throughout the country promote cat adoptions by having open houses, offering special incentives for adoptions and teaching the public about responsible pet care. The goal of this emphasis on cat adoptions is to raise awareness of the life and death situations faced by shelter cats each year.

The estimated population of homeless cats in the United States (70 million) is almost equal to the number of owned cats (75 million). Each year, five to seven million companion animals enter animal shelters. Sadly, out of the millions of cats who enter shelters each year, only about one in four are adopted. Most of them – more than 70% - are euthanized simply due to lack of space and resources. The majority of the cats that are euthanized are healthy and adoptable. You can help reduce the number of euthanizations by adopting a shelter cat – or two or three. It will improve your life by giving you a companion who will show you unconditional love and at the same time will help combat the nationwide tragedy of overpopulation.

French writer Colette once said “there are no ordinary cats.” Stop by your local animal shelter or humane society and you will find that shelter cats are extraordinary but never ordinary. You will find cats of all sizes - from tiny to humongous; and all ages – frisky, bouncing kittens, rambunctious teenagers, mellow older gentlemen and elegant elderly matrons; and all colors – solid white and black cats, tuxedos, blue gray tabbies, yellow tabbies, calico, tortoiseshell and everything in between. Adopting a cat doesn’t just save a cat’s life, it changes yours. You will be blessed with love and gratitude for life and you will know that you have saved a precious life.

The Top 10 Reasons to Adopt a Cat (from the American Humane website)
1. Cats will keep you entertained with their playful antics.
2. Cats are very affectionate and love to cuddle with you.
3. Having a cat can reduce your blood pressure and prevent heart disease.
4. Cats are very clean — they bathe themselves!
5. Cats are independent and can be left alone while you are at work.
6. Cats do not need to be housebroken - using the litter box comes naturally to them.
7. Cats do not need a lot of space. They are perfect pets for apartments and smaller homes.
8. Taking care of a cat can help teach a child responsibility and humane values.
9. Cats get plenty of exercise living indoors. Just 15 minutes of playtime each day will satisfy a cat.
10. Approximately 4 million homeless cats end up in animal shelters every year in the United States. By adopting, you’ll be saving a life.

For more information:
You and Your Cat – Best Friends Cat Care Library
Tips on Welcoming a New Cat into Your Home
Tips on Introducing a Cat and Dog
Introducing a New Cat to Your Exisiting Cats
Cat Care Tips from The Humane Society of the United States
Cat Care Tips from the ASPCA

For a partial list of Georgia shelters Click Here

If you would like to post a story about a shelter cat in your life,
Click Here and scroll down to the Shelter Tails Forum.

Main Photo credit: The main photo used for this story is courtesy of Petfinder.com. The cat in the photo is Blue Boy and he is available for adoption from Furkids in Atlanta, GA. Click here if you are interested in adopting Blue Boy.

Comments

Posted June 05, 2009, 8:29AM by bjkoll

Click here to go to the "What's Happening in Georgia" forum for information on Georgia shelters and rescues offering special reduced rates on cat and kitten adoptions in June.

Posted June 06, 2009, 10:39PM by bjkoll

In recognition of June as Adopt-a-Cat Month, the Morris Animal Foundation’s (MAF) Helping Shelters Help Cats will research the most common health problems that affect shelter cats. The main health problems for shelter cats have been identified as upper respiratory disease, diarrhea and ringworm. MAF has announced plans to fund three feline health research studies in an effort to reduce stress and increase adoption rates. MAF’s Happy Healthy Cat Campaign hopes to increase awareness of feline health issues and increase funding for cat health research. Funding for the studies came from an anonymous donor who will match donations to this Program up to $500,000.

Posted June 16, 2009, 6:53PM by GeorgeBailey47

The real #1 reason to adopt a cat- Because they are beautiful, living, breathing, thinking, feeling, loving, soul-filled Children of God, just as much as we humans are.

And, despite popular culture's mythical beliefs, the fact is that a cat is the best pal and soulmate that you can ever have. They will love you, care for you, and enrich your life more than we could ever do for them, in return.

A home without a cat or cats, is just a dwelling.