Rescue Cats
Rescue Campaign Focuses on Health, Happiness and Homes for Country’s “Most Popular Pet” & Offers Top 10 Checklist for Cat Parents-to-Be
Kitten Season – Adopt-A-Cat Month – Top 10 Checklist for Rescue Cats
June is coming! That means it’s Adopt-A-Cat Month again.
Why June? Now is the height of “Kitten Season,” when millions of helpless little kittens are born, so many of them being dumped in animal rescue shelters. Starting their lives behind bars.
If, like us, you have cats and love ’em, then here’s how you can help — even if you have your own feline family friends and know they won’t welcome new meowers right now. It’s all about love, eh? You can still help…
Cats! They may be called the country’s “most popular pets,” but right now they need our help. Each spring during “kitten season,” thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of cats already in shelters across the country.
That means your local shelter or rescue has “tons of cute, cuddly newborns, in addition to all the mellow, older cats and those of every age in between” – just in time for American Humane’s 44th annual Adopt-a-Cat Month®.
American Humane will be sharing “Adopt-A-Cat Month® tips and content on its website and across its social media platforms throughout the month, including cat adoption checklists, tips for pet owners dealing with unruly cat behavior, like scratching or marking, and humorous videos.”
The popular annual campaign is part of a larger effort by American Humane to “help these beautiful animals and focus on and help solve the unique challenges and issues they face.”
Although cats have often been referred to as America’s “Most Popular Pet,” with an estimated 94 million living in 47 million U.S. households, they receive less veterinary care, have less research dedicated to their unique health/behavioral issues, are more likely to be feral, and are more likely to be euthanized in shelters than dogs.
If you’re thinking about adopting, American Humane has put together an essential “Top 10” checklist:
TOP 10 CHECKLIST FOR ADOPTING A CAT
- If you’re thinking about adopting a cat, consider taking home two. Cats require exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction. Two cats can provide this for each other.
- Find a cat whose personality meshes with yours. Just as we each have our own personality, so do cats. In general, cats with long hair and round heads and bodies are more easygoing than lean cats with narrow heads and short hair, who are typically more active.
- Pick out a veterinarian ahead of time and schedule a visit within the first few days following the adoption. You’ll want to take any medical records you received from the adoption center on your first visit.
- Due to their immaturity, kittens in particular should accompany you to make the appointment – even before the exam itself – so staff can pet the cat and the animal will have a positive association with the veterinarian’s office.
- Make sure everyone in the house is prepared to have a cat before your new pet comes home. Visiting the shelter, rescue group or animal control facility should be a family affair. When adopting a new cat with existing pets at home, discuss how to best introduce them.
- Budget for the short- and long-term costs of a cat. A cat adopted from a shelter is a bargain; many facilities will have already provided spaying or neutering, initial vaccines, and a microchip for permanent identification.
- Stock up on supplies before the cat arrives. Be prepared. Your cat will need a litter box, a good-quality cat litter, food and water bowls, food, scratching posts, safe and stimulating toys, a cushy bed, a brush for grooming, a toothbrush and nail clippers.
- Cat-proof your home. A new cat will quickly teach you not to leave things lying out. Food left on the kitchen counter will serve to teach your new friend to jump on counters for a possible lunch. Get rid of loose items your cat might chew on, pick up random items like paper clips.
- Go slowly when introducing your cat to new friends and family. It can take a few weeks for a cat to relax in its new home. You might have to isolate the cat until it’s used to the new surroundings — this is particularly important if you have other pets. If you’ve adopted a kitten, socialization is very important. But remember – take it slow.
- Be sure to include your new pet in your family’s emergency plan. You probably have a plan in place for getting your family to safety in case of an emergency. Adjust this plan to include your pets. Add phone numbers for your veterinarian and closest 24-hour animal hospital to your “in-case-of-emergency” call list, and be sure to have a several-day supply of your pet’s food and medications on hand.
If you’re considering giving a cat as a gift, make sure the recipient is an active participant in the adoption process.
Though well-meaning, the surprise kitty gift doesn’t allow for a “get-to know-one-another” period. Remember, adopting a cat isn’t like purchasing a household appliance or a piece of jewelry – this is a real living, breathing, and emotional being.
But if you know someone who would love to have a cat, take them to your local animal shelter. You couldn’t give a more beautiful gift. And it’s a two-way gift! Love all around.
“There are literally millions of reasons to rescue a cat in need during our Adopt-a-Cat Month — and at every other time of year,” explained American Humane President and CEO Robin Ganzert, PhD, in a press release. “You can find every one of them at your local shelter or rescue and, with time, each will give you a million reasons to be glad you did.”
So True.
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About American Humane: American Humane is the country’s first national humane organization, founded in 1877. For more info, visit www.americanhumane.org.
Updated: April 27, 2023.
Source: American Humane, PR Newswire & Civilized Bears.
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