Do you feel like you need a sweet little bundle of joy in your life?
If there is a room for a kitty in your home and if you are responsible enough to take care of her than you should adopt!
There are hundreds of reasons to adopt but here are the 10 most important ones.
It feels good to save a life.
A lot of shelter animals are living on borrowed time. Even the no-kill shelters can only let a cat in if there's room. In any case, the street is no home at all for a cat that needs food, shelter and love. Someone who adopts a cat isn't just a cat owner, they're a life saver.
When you adopt a cat, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you did something worthwhile. Take in a shelter animal and you have a friend for life!
You get beautiful and one of a kind companion.
Kitty mills are just that. Mills, practically factories to make the same cat over and over. Who needs a copycat? If you come to a shelter you can find the cat that's just right for you. You are a unique individual, so you should get a cat who's as singular as you are. Here's a fun fact: every cat's coat pattern is unique.
Even cloned calicos have different patterns. Maybe the quiet calico is the right pet for you. Maybe you'd prefer a feisty tabby who shares your taste in music. Maybe an elegant Siamese who loves to be photographed is what you're looking for. At any rate, there's only one way to find out. And that's to get out there and adopt!
You get to take a stand against animal cruelty.
This should be stressed as strongly as the importance of spaying and neutering. Do. Not. Support. The mills. A lot of the kittens at pet stores are from mills unless they specifically say they're shelter animals. The more responsible pet stores will do all they can to support local animal shelters.
Cats from mills are sick, abused and poorly socialized. The stories of these terrible places are enough to make anyone cry. Those ads with Sarah McLachlan aren't far from the truth. Don't give a dime to anyone who would hurt a kitty cat that way!
You can be an inspiration to others who might adopt.
It's true. The most effective form of advertisement is word of mouth. When you share your shelter animal story, that makes other people think about adopting. And if they adopt, they might share their adoption story with someone and that could inspire more people to adopt. Before you know it, there's a whole chain of people lining up to adopt homeless cats and dogs!
If you encourage your friends and family to adopt that means yet another deserving animal finds their forever home and best friend. There are millions of animals in shelters all over America. If you can help make that number just a little smaller, that can mean so much to many homeless creatures.
You can help curb pet over-population.
Kittens sure are cute, but there can too much of a good thing. Next to spaying and neutering, pet adoption is one of the best ways to curb the over-population of pet animals. There are more homeless animals than there are shelters to care for them. What's more, feral and stray cats are a danger both to themselves and others.
Strays are in constant danger of disease and accidents. A feral cat looking for prey can damage the local environment. Despite a certain popular series of juvenile literature that glorifies the life of a feral feline, the truth is that it's better for everyone if every cat is a kittypet.
You will get a support system.
Getting a shelter animal isn't a simple business deal involving handing over the money, getting a cat and going separate ways. People who work in shelters want to help you and Kitty. They helped take care of Kitty until you came along so they know all about her history and personality and will be there to help you learn to be a better pet parent.
If you need advice on house training, grooming or behavior modification, the shelter is there to help you. And you can help them by adopting your next cat from your local animal shelter.
Shelter animals are well cared for.
Shelters aren't about making money, they're about taking care of an animal. Cats in shelters are screened for health and behavior problems and those problems are promptly solved. They receive veterinary care including vaccination, parasite treatment, spaying or neutering and often microchipping.
A bedraggled stray with matted fur can be brought to a shelter, get the full make-over treatment and become a beautiful cat you'd never think was skulking around in back alleys just last week. You are guaranteed to start off with a healthy new companion.
You can save money in both short term and long term.
While a shelter might request a fee to cover costs for caring for an animal, it's substantially lower than what a breeder might ask for. You'll also save money in the long term. Shelter animals are healthier than mill bred animals, plus mixed-breeds don't suffer as many ailments as purebreds.
This means lower vet bills and an overall happier pet. A healthy cat is a long-lived cat, meaning you'll have a pet who will be your constant companion for a long time to come.
You will be helping your community.
Adopting a cat from a shelter is an investment in your community. Your adoption fee goes to the local animal shelter, giving them the means and pet supplies to care for more animals and educate the public on animal care. You're not just adopting a cat. You could very well be contributing to a billboard advertising the local shelter, leading to more homeless animals getting adopted.
Adoptable cats need you!
They need you! More than anybody! All those homeless kitties need you to take care of them. You laugh, they purr. You cry, they understand.
You dangle the string, they grab it. You had a bad day, they fix it. You pick them, they heart you. For more information please consult above infographic.
