If you’re looking for a new cat, have you thought of adopting one from a shelter?  I’m posting here to let you know about the many advantages there are to adopting a homeless cat from a shelter and especially highlighting the work of  the non-profit organization Adopt-a-Pet.com in the US. 

People are usually not aware of just how many fabulous cats there are in shelters. It may surprise you to know that a quarter of all animals found in shelters in the US are purebred. That’s a staggering amount don’t you think? These are not diseased, problem or scruffy Moggies, simply beautiful cats that for one reason or another find themselves homeless – maybe their guardian died, or moved away, or couldn’t afford to keep them any longer. Often in the case of purebred cats, they have been bred by someone to make money, who couldn’t then find them a home. 

I am always amazed when I look round our local shelter, to see the variety of wonderful animals there. I would love to take them all home. Their lonely eyes get to me in a way nothing else does.

The simple fact is, that even though there are many shelters, there is just not enough room in them to house all the unwanted cats and kittens. The tragedy is, that thousands upon thousands of cats are euthanized in the US alone each year. I dread to think what the number would be world wide.

My mother was saying that in the UK media only last week, people were being advised not to buy animals from breeders, because of the terrible conditions that many animals suffer. Obviously there are many wonderful breeders around, who love animals and treat them with care and respect. There are also a lot of unscrupulous ones, who want to make as much money as they can and do little or nothing for the animal’s welfare and happiness.

Here follow a list of the advantages of adopting a cat from a shelter:

1) When you adopt an adult cat from a shelter (rather than buy a kitten from a breeder). You will have a very good idea of what type of cat you are getting regarding size and temperament. This will assure you ahead of time, that the cat is right for you and your home.

2) There is nothing like the feeling you will get from knowing that you have saved a cat’s life and given it a lovely home and family to live with.
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3) Adopted cats know that you have extended your heart to them and a very special bond can grow between you.
 
4) Adopting a cat teaches children the value of responsibility and the value of life.

5. Choosing a mixed breed cat, means that you will avoid the health problems associated with pedigree cats. A Moggie has a much stronger constitution all round.

If you decide to go ahead and adopt a cat there are several things you should seriously consider beforehand:

There is a blog post at Adopt-a-Pet.com which highlights the five most important things you should consider when choosing a new pet.

Important Considerations: 

1) You need to make a real commitment to the cat – that you will care for it for the rest of its life.
2) Make sure in advance that you can keep a cat where you live.
3) Never adopt a cat on a whim. This is a serious commitment and deserves careful thought and consideration.
4) Provide plenty of exercise and stimulation for the first few weeks the cat lives with you, to help it adjust to its new home.
5) Find out about the correct nutritional requirements and how best to keep your cat fit and well.  Veterinary Secrets Revealed

6) Make sure that your property is adequately fenced and gated, to provide for the cats safety.

Here are a few paragraphs from the website of Adopt-a-Pet.com telling you what makes them unique within the shelter community.
 

On our website, people can use something we call “Search Saver.” This feature will notify users by e-mail when a particular pet of their specifications in available for adoption. For example, I can tell “Search Saver” where I live, and what type of breed I am looking for. When that animal is available, I am notified the next time a pet matching my search is added on Adopt-a-Pet.com.

As of this summer we have now made it easy for our visitors to find pets and then recommend them to friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and other social applications. We are calling the idea “Social Petworking.” Here is how it works; once you have searched and found a pet in need, on the pet details page simply hover over the button  labeled “SHARE,” there you can send the pet details page to any of your friends.  For more information visit this page tp://www.adoptapet.com/socialpetworking/signup. 

 In addition to dogs and cats, we now feature all kinds of pets for adoption, including rabbits, farm animals, ferrets, hamsters and other small animals, horses, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and even fish.  This was a major initiative that took many months to research and program into the site, and it is being well-received within the shelter community.

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