THIRTEEN REASONS TO
ADOPT A CAT
FROM A SHELTER …
ADOPT A CAT
FROM A SHELTER …
… rather buying your next feline companion from a pet store, a breeder, or through an ad in the paper.
I got these 13 facts from the Humane Society of the United States and the American Humane Society. Check their websites for even more information about their good works -- and the importance of pet adoption. Then visit Petfinder (I've perpetually got the link there at the right) if you decide to add a feline to your household.
1) Between 6 and 8 million dogs and cats are turned in at animal shelters each year
2) Half (3 or 4 million) are euthanized
3) That doesn’t include all the cats that are abandoned or let to run free, and end up starving, freezing, being hit by cars, and suffering other fates too cruel to contemplate.
4) By adopting from an animal shelter, you are literally saving lives. Not only the cat you bring home, but also the cat who can replace yours in the shelter and will therefore also enjoy a shot at a happy, indoor life.
5) Shelters routinely examine the cats and kittens and get to know their personalities a bit BEFORE they are put up for adoption. So you can be confident that your new family member is healthy.
6) Shelter cats are a bargain. They already come spayed/neutered and have their shots, saving their new owners a lot of money. Many shelters also include food, toys or a litter box with the adoption fee. Breeders and those who are willing to give their cats away “free to good homes” seldom offer such a good deal.
7) Many shelters include microchipping with the adoption fee. Really, it's one-stop shopping! How economical and convenient is that?
8) You’ll have a trusted resource for pet information. The animal shelter where you adopt your cat will usually be happy to help you for years to come, providing the names of vets in your area, education about claw clipping vs. declawing, tips for choosing a vacation cat-sitter, etc.
9) Shelters give seniors a break. Both senior cats and senior citizens. Hundreds of shelters all over the country participate in programs like Pets for People, which adopts adult cats to senior citizens at a reduced cost.
10) Shelters provide a vital neighborhood service and they deserve your support. Cats who are allowed to roam can frighten birds, kill rabbits, destroy plants, and defecate wherever they please. Of course, it’s just cats doing what cats do and they should not be blamed – yet homeless, abandoned cats can be a nuisance and a health hazard. Shelters help get these poor cats off the streets, out of alleys and away from your garden.
11) Having a cat reduces your blood pressure and can help prevent heart disease.
12) Cats are more independent and more flexible than dogs when it comes to the schedule of a busy owner.
13) I have only ever shared my home with rescued cats, and there is no way anyone can convince me that an expensive, purebred kitty would be any more loving or lovable than my feline roommates have been.
SORRY, EVERYONE! I WAS COMPLETELY SWAMPED AT
WORK AND COULDN'T VISIT ANY OF YOUR TT's.
THIS GAL IS A BAD GAL AND IS ALL-APOLOGETIC.
WORK AND COULDN'T VISIT ANY OF YOUR TT's.
THIS GAL IS A BAD GAL AND IS ALL-APOLOGETIC.
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You make thirteen very compelling arguments for adopting a kitty, alas I am not good with animals. Thanks for visiting my TT.
ReplyDelete[I just glanced at your entry below about Paul Newman, and lost my train of thought for your T-13]
ReplyDeleteI knew he was diagnosed with cancer months ago, but didn't realize that now he's in serious condition.
---Okay, ::concentrating::
Your T-13 is super. We have two cats that were Humane Society adopted. And we specifically wanted 'older cats' 'cause they are so ignored by younger families.
Hope you can come by and have a bit of fun with me for my T-13 this week.
We are so allergic that we can't have cats. We do give a little kitty love to the cats in our neighborhood. I think the next pet we get will be from the pound or rescue.
ReplyDeleteHappy TT - great list! of course.
Our Jillian was adopted from the Humane Society 8 years ago. She's been a wonderful companion.
ReplyDeleteI posted my first TT this week. Hope you can visit!
Those numbers are staggering! Thanks for wising me up!
ReplyDeleteWe adopted our cat from the yard. Actually, he adopted us, as his owners never fed him and we did ;)
ReplyDeleteWe love him a whole bunch.
Happy Thursday!
Good service and great argument
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. My cats tend to come from my sister, who is a vet. People often bring cats to her with a "find it a home or put it down" edict.
ReplyDeleteI want to get my Scouts involved in community service with some of the local shelters.
But what if you dont like cats?? I have so many pooping in my yard and spraying my stuff that I have really grown to hate them. The neighbors have a ton and they all end up at my house. Great list for the cat lovers though. Happy TT my friend:)
ReplyDeleteWell, Lori, while I don't understand anyone hating an entire species of animal, I completely understand what a nuisance cats can be. So in honor of Adopt-a-Cat Month, perhaps you could re-read #10, think about what an underfunded, uphill battle the animal shelter in your neighborhood face, and consider cutting them a check. It's a win-win: Good for your karma and your community and, when a homeless cat gets a place in your neighborhood shelter, it won't be pooping in your yard.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately my sweetie and I are both allergic to kitties. We love them though. We're considering adopting a dog--and if we do it will be a shelter mutt!
ReplyDeleteWe adopoted a cat and dog from the Humane Society and they have both been great pets.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize so many cats were euthanized. That is just awful.
ReplyDeleteWe got our "Minnie" from a shelter, and the one before her, I found on the streets and brought her home. She was the best cat ever, and I still miss her to this day!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Our kitty came from Cat Welfare in 1999. She's fabulous.
ReplyDeletehttp://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2008/06/thursday-thirteen-13-recipes-to.html
That's a very nice TT ! Tomorrow it will be one year since I adopted my little Rosie. All my cats are from animal shelters.
ReplyDeleteNice TT. I am a cat lover myself but have to admit to being partial to Siamese. You make some good arguments though and we will be in the "we need a new cat" market soon, so I will check into shelters first. You've possibly made your first convert, go you!
ReplyDeleteI totally admire your kindness and compassion for your feline friends! Great list...hope you'll stop by mine when you get a moment.
ReplyDeleteGreat post - I'm horrified to learn that so many cats are euthanised due to no-one offering them homes. One of my cats is a rescue - I've never bought an expensive pedigree, and agree with you that it's better to offer a home to an abandoned cat. Happy TT!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love having cats. I've got 3 currently and they're wonderful. You know many times you can get a "special breed of cat "(like a Persian, Siamese, Snowshoe, Domestic Long-hair, Maine coon, Russian blue and more) from a shelter at a bargain price. Watch the websites.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 cats, 1 I got from Petsmart so he was a humane society kitty I believe, and the other 2 were from a litter of strays. I had a friend who kept trying to catch the momma kitties that ran wild there about to get them spayed, and failing that, at least rounded up the kittens and tried to place them, so they weren't running wild and having more kittens!
ReplyDeleteIt's just heartbreaking that so many of them go homeless, I wish I could help them all!
Come by when you can. You might want to check out my kitty pictures from last Tuesday.
ReplyDelete