Covering Everything You Need To Know About The Month Long Holiday That Promotes Cat Adoption
The month of June is often regarded as the unofficial beginning of Summer. However, June is also known for being a very important time for shelter cats. The entire month of June is recognized and celebrated by animal lovers everywhere as Adopt A Cat Month. While this is a fairly popular pet-themed holiday, there’s a chance you’ve never heard of it. That’s where Paws & Claws pet sitting and dog walking has you covered! This article will discuss everything you need to know about National Adopt A Cat Month and how you can get involved.
What Is National Adopt A Cat Month?
National Adopt A Cat Month is a pet-themed holiday that aims to remind people about the importance of adopting cats from animal shelters as opposed to pet stores or private breeders. This wonderful month-long holiday was founded by American Humane in 1978. American Humane is America’s first national humane organization that is committed to helping ensure the welfare, safety, and well-being of animals. They continue to promote and support this fantastic holiday every year and help shelter cats & kittens find a forever home.
Why Have A Holiday About Cat Adoption?
June is widely regarded as kitten season. Due to the natural mating patterns of cats, most litters of kittens are born around this time. When cat owners can’t find a new home for their newborn kittens, many of them end up homeless, on the streets, or in animal shelters. This influx of kittens in animal shelters every June makes it the perfect month to promote and encourage cat & kitten adoptions. Although everyone loves cats & kittens, they are currently facing a serious overpopulation crisis.
Shelter Cat Statistics
A study done in 2017 by The Bard Center For Environmental Policy showed that there are an estimated 50 to 70 million feral cats living in the U.S. Additionally, the A.S.P.C.A. (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) reports that 3.2 million cats enter U.S. animal shelters every year. While many of them are adopted and find forever homes, some are not so lucky. The A.S.P.C.A. also reports that out of those 3.2 million shelter cats, roughly 530,000 are euthanized every year. This is due to a lack of resources, space, and staff.
Downsides Of Purchasing Cats
There is nothing wrong with purchasing a cat or kitten from a private breeder. However, we strongly encourage you to do your research and background check before purchasing through a breeder. As animal lovers, we only support responsible and humane animal breeding. Cats are no exception. The biggest downsides of going through a breeder are the high prices and the risk of health problems that result from inbreeding. For more information about cat inbreeding, check out CatQueries.com.
Additionally, we strongly advise not purchasing a cat or kitten from a pet store. We have nothing against pet stores, but many pet stores acquire their cats & kittens from kitten mills. These breeding operations (known as kitten mills or puppy mills) are solely focused on profit and often have inadequate and/or inhumane living conditions as a result. Again, do your research about where your cat or kitten is coming from beforehand so you don’t accidentally end up supporting a cat/kitten mill.
Benefits Of Adopting Cats
Adoption is an all around win for everyone! You get a new furry family member, the animal shelter has one less mouth to feed, and you are giving a shelter cat a second chance at life. Adoption doesn’t simply help shelter cats, it saves shelter cats. When you adopt a cat, you might not get the exact breed, color, or hair type that you want. But, you will get a cat that is just as adorable, playful, grateful, and loving as any other cat.
Additionally, most animal shelters also recognize the cat overpopulation crisis. That’s why most animal shelters will always spay or neuter a cat before they are adopted. In many cases, local animal shelters are so overwhelmed and overcrowded with cats, that they will often waive the spay and neuter fees when you adopt.
How You Can Help The Cause
There are many ways you can get involved with National Adopt A Cat Month this June. The most obvious way is to adopt a shelter cat. If you or someone you know is considering getting a cat, we highly recommend adoption. There are millions of shelter cats in the U.S. that are in need of a good home. You could be that home!
If bringing a cat into your home and life isn’t a viable option, you can also help the cause by donating to your local animal shelter. Animal shelters are always in need of more resources like towels, blankets, food, and money. Any donation goes a long way to help better the lives of shelter animals.
Aside from donating money or supplies, you can also get involved by volunteering your time at a local animal shelter. Most animal shelters are always in need of more help when it comes to caring for their shelter animals. Even just a few hours a week can make all the difference in a shelter animal’s life and yours.
