Discussing The Month-Long Holiday That Raises Awareness About Shelter Cats And The Importance Of Adoption
June is finally here! With June comes the wonderful month-long pet themed holiday known as National Adopt A Cat Month. Never heard of National Adopt A Cat Month? No worries because Long Island Pet Service has you covered. This article will go over everything you need to know about National Adopt A Cat Month and the importance of adoption versus purchasing.
A Month That Matters
National Adopt A Cat Month is a very important holiday for all cat-kind. This amazing holiday was originally founded by American Humane in 1978. Their goal was to raise awareness about the overpopulation crisis of stray & feral cats. June is widely regarded as “kitten season” because many female cats are giving birth to their litters around this time. With all of these newborn kittens around, many animal shelters become flooded with kittens and cats entering their shelter. The overall goal of this holiday is to find these cats and kittens a new forever home.
The Struggles Of Shelter Cats
It’s not easy being a shelter cat. In most cases, you have a lot of competition and a small window of opportunity to be adopted. The A.S.P.C.A. (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) reported that 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters every year. Out of those 6.3 million animals, 3.2 million of them are cats and the other 3.1 million are dogs.
Sadly many of these animals will not be adopted and ultimately be euthanized due to a lack of resources, staff, and space in animal shelters. The A.S.P.C.A. also reports that every year approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized, 530,000 of which are cats and 390,000 are dogs. These are horrific statistics and truly reflect the scope of the overpopulation crisis in both dogs and cats. However, these numbers are subject to change. Awareness based holidays like National Adopt A Cat Month aim to significantly lower these numbers.
Reasons To Adopt
There are many reasons why you should adopt a cat instead of purchasing one. As previously mentioned, more than half a million cats are euthanized in animal shelters every year due to overpopulation. By adopting a cat, you are being part of the solution to cat overpopulation.
Secondly, adopting is significantly less expensive than purchasing from a private breeder. Caring for a pet can be expensive. So saving money where you can is always a win.
Additionally, adopting from an animal shelter helps lessen the burden that most animal shelters feel every June. As previously mentioned, more than 6 million companion animals will enter U.S. animal shelters every year. Every cat adopted from a shelter makes room for another animal that would otherwise be turned away or euthanized.
Lastly, adoption still gets you what you want. An adorable, loving, and furry companion. You may not get the exact color or breed of cat you ideally want, but you will still get a forever friend. Adoption is a truly selfless act because you’re acting in the cat’s best interest as opposed to your own. That is something truly amazing and worth celebrating.
Reasons Not To Purchase
Full disclosure, we have nothing against cat breeders or pet stores that sell cats. However, we do have a problem with the mistreatment of cats. Unfortunately that is a common trend among pet stores and cat breeders. Not all cat breeders or pet stores are bad, but we strongly recommend researching their sources before purchasing.
Many pet stores acquire their cats from kitten mills. A kitten mill can be described as a facility where breeders breed cats, typically of the purebred variety, with a priority of making a profit, with the welfare of the cats and kittens falling to the wayside, according to GreenMatters.com. Many of these kitten mills are unsanitary, unkept, and provide overall poor living conditions. Female cats are bred over and over until they can no longer provide litters and then subsequently killed. Oftentimes, these kittens are malnourished and not provided with basic care like clean water and adequate shelter.
Most kitten mills are downright horrible and should not be supported. Private breeders are usually more reliable than kitten mills. However, you should always do your research first before purchasing from a breeder to make sure they are engaging in humane and safe practices while raising these kittens. As previously mentioned, going through a private breeder can be very expensive. Save some money and save a life by adopting instead of purchasing.
How You Can Help
We hope you get involved with National Adopt A Cat Month this June and help fight the cat overpopulation crisis. The best way to help the cause is to adopt a shelter cat. There are millions of shelter cats in the U.S. that desperately need a good home. If you or someone you know is considering getting a cat, please consider adoption versus purchasing.
If adoption isn’t an option, then we recommend donating to your local animal shelter. Most animal shelters are always in need of more resources like food, towels, and blankets. Any donation, including money, will go a long way.
Additionally, you can also volunteer your time at a local animal shelter. Animal shelters are always in need of more volunteers and even just a few hours a week can make all the difference.
More Articles Like This
We hope you enjoyed this article and that it inspires you to get involved with National Adopt A Cat Month this June. Shelter cats need our help and it’s up to responsible pet lovers like us to do so. For more pet holiday themed articles like this, be sure to check out the blog section of the official Long Island Pet Services website. Thank you for reading and happy National Adopt A Cat Month!
