In America, animal shelters are usually filled to the brim with unwanted pets. Despite widespread efforts to spay and neuter, there will almost always be strays who breed. It is a part of life and something we must deal with as a society. A lot of stray cats end up in the shelter. Some of them are people’s pets who just never get picked up.
The chances of a house pet getting back home after going to a shelter is very low. Many great animals are put down every year. If you have been considering adding a new feline friend to your home, consider adopting a shelter cat.
Cats can end up in a shelter for many reasons. Most are brought in after being caught wandering around outside. This could be a completely feral cat or a cat raised by humans. Some cats are brought in when living situations change with a family.
Maybe the family is moving and cannot have a cat in their new apartment. A lot of times when a new baby is brought home the cat is kicked to the curb. Death of owner if another reason a perfectly good cat ends up in a shelter. Shelter cats are not bad cats simply because they ended up there.
Personality is key when adopting a cat. Sadly, many cats are scared in a shelter environment. They are stuck in a tiny cage and have no idea what to do. It must be nerve-wracking to be in that kind of situation! Go to your local shelter and visit the cats there.
You know you find a good cat when they are friendly in such a scary environment. Two of the cats that I have adopted just shined in the shelter. When I adopted Kami, I originally wanted her sister because of the looks.
When I actually got in to meet the kittens, Kami was right up front meowing and begging for attention. Her sister cowered in the corner and didn’t look happy when I tried to pet. Kami sold herself into a home. My cat Tibo found himself a home after 17 weeks in a cage by being a complete sweetheart. Both were shelter cats who were super friendly and outgoing.
Shelters are full and if you want to bring a new friend home, go to your local shelter and adopt. You will be saving a life since so many shelters kill cats that have been there too long. This can be after 2 weeks or 3 days! Give a shelter cat a chance. You might just find yourself a best friend.
Andrea Booth is a blogger at Smith Monitoring, a leader of alarm companies in Houston and alarm monitoring. Andrea enjoys laying in the sun with her two happy cats.