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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