CatCuddles Celebrates Adopt A Shelter Cat Month

This month is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. This month-long event is sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)—the first humane society founded in the United States.

The best way to help is to adopt a cat from a local animal shelter or cat rescue. Many organizations waive or discount adoption fees during kitten season. The ASPCA has a database to help people locate adoptable cats in their area. CatCuddles also has a directory of no kill shelters.

If a household is not in a position to adopt a cat, there are other ways to help out. The first way is to donate money or hold a fundraiser for a local shelter or rescue. This allows the shelters to purchase the supplies (such as food and cat litter) that are needed to deal with the influx of cats and kittens.

Another way to help is to donate needed items. Most shelters have a list of most wanted donations, which might include everything from old towels to cat toys, food, and cat litter. Volunteering is also a great way to help overrun shelters and rescues cope with the influx of cats and kittens.

Fostering a cat or kitten is another way to help as it relieves overcrowding in shelters. Most shelters and rescues have an established fostering program and will work with individuals or families to find the right cat or kitten to foster. Very young kittens often need to be fostered because they are too young to be adopted and need a safe place to stay until they are ready to find their forever homes. Other times, cats or kittens experience extreme stress in a shelter environment and do better living in a home until they can be adopted.

The warm summer months bring the start of what is known in animal rescue organizations as “kitten season” or “feline breeding season.” During kitten season, animal shelters take in more cats and kittens than at any other time during the year. According to the ASPCA, 90% of kittens entering shelters in Los Angeles arrived during kitten season. Other cities and states across the USA also experience similar surges during the spring and summer. Areas of the country with warmer climates may even experience an extended surge.

“The sad thing about the influx of cats and kittens during the warmer months is that shelters and cat rescues are overrun and quickly become overcrowded,” said Steve Miller, owner of CatCuddles. “As a result, many of these cats and kittens run the risk of being euthanized unnecessarily.”

“Helping to relieve the influx of cats and kittens during kitten season is vitally important,” said Miller. “By adopting, donating, or volunteering, people can make a real difference and help animal shelters deal with the surge in cats and kittens that arrive during the warmer months.”

CatCuddles is an educational website that provides articles on different cat breeds and feline health issues. To support the work of animal shelters and cat rescues, CatCuddles holds frequent charitable cat giveaways that donate $1,000 to animal shelters or cat rescue organizations located throughout the United States.