June is known in some circles as Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month, which was started by American Humane.
I suspected June was probably selected because right about now shelters are overflowing with kittens. (I based this assumption on my personal experiences with Tabby –first finding her and then finding out she was pregnant.) I was right.
Out of the millions of cats who enter shelters each year, only about one in four are adopted into loving homes. In fact, most of them –more than 70 percent of them– must be euthanized. ~Statement from American Humane
Yikes! That statistic breaks my heart.
(I guess it’s because of Tabby. Not that I got her from a shelter, but I rescued her just the same. I’m reminded of that every day when she loves on me, that she could have been smooshed on the street instead of snuggled in my lap if things had played out a little differently.)
However, there are ways to lower that statistic and save many a cat’s life. Here’s how:
• Adopt a cat. (Yes, it’s the most obvious but it stood to be reiterated.)
• Spay and neuter your cat if you haven’t already.
• Join the 9Lives Morris’ Million Cat Rescue Mission. Morris and Li’l Mo (the first cat adopted in the crusade) keep count on their website of all the cats saved so far. There’s also information on the dates and cities the 9Lives Mobile Adoption Center will be visiting. (It runs events with local shelters.) And 9Lives makes a “shelter donation” for every 9Lives product that’s purchased.
• Help your local shelter. Volunteer your time, donate food or money, whatever you can to help, do it.
• Start a shelter yourself. (See Aimee’s great “Starting a Shelter” series for the basics on getting started, ideas for getting the community involved, as well as info on the money and legal stuff.)
• Your cat oughta be in pictures! The ASPCA’s photo contest that is. Show off your best newly adopted or already-a-part-of-the-family cat pic and you could win an ASPCA “We Are Their Voice” Cat T-shirt and wristband. (This one doesn’t really benefit anyone specifically. I just thought it was a fun thing to participate in.)
My household has reached cat capacity for now, so no more adoptions for me. But it’s nice to know there are other ways I can help shelter cats this month just the same.
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