So you want to help a shelter cat, or maybe assist a few fabulous foster felines, is that right? You’re probably racking your brain trying to understand the most effective route to take for our fantastical furry four-leggers. You may be continuously asking yourself questions as to what you can do to help Fluffy or Fee-Fee get adopted. Perhaps you’ve even called the shelter to see how you can be of service.
Well I’m here, and speaking from experience, to tell you some easy ways to help shelter cats. In no particular order, here are five ways to help shelter cats get adopted into fur-ever homes.
- Spread the Word: Whether you take to Facebook and re-post your shelters needy kitties, Retweet another shelter’s cat in need or even take to your blog or website to show your support, it’s easy to do and it’s free. You can feature either pictures or write up some tantalizing tidbits about each kitty. And don’t for one second think that it doesn’t make a difference… I have seen plenty of shelter cats get adopted through social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #AdoptaCatMonth!
- Volunteer: Volunteers are imperative to a shelter’s operations and to adoptions as well. They not only keep cages and kitties looking fresh and clean, but they give the needed attention to the cats in the shelter. Volunteering doesn’t just mean going and cleaning cages and feeding cats however; many people use a skill set to lend a hand – this is called “in-kind donating,” i.e., the donating of services. For example, I am a writer and blogger with ties to pet care companies. I spend most of my volunteer time nailing down food and supply donations and writing about what’s happening at the shelter for the organization’s Facebook page and web page. Still others have come in and used their photography savvy to help capture better images of the cats for the websites and cage-cards. We all know how important those pictures are!
A young male cat up for adoption through Love-A-Stray in Avon, Ohio.
- Donate: Donating to a given local rescue or shelter will help them get the supplies that they need to keep the kitties fed and healthy and vivacious. A full, vibrant kitty is a happy kitty. A happy kitty has a much higher chance of being adopted when the time comes around. Donating also helps the shelter offset costs for vaccinations, spay/neuter surgeries, and medications for kitties with infections or Diabetes, FLV, FIV, Herpes, etc.
- Get More Involved: Contact your local shelter or rescue group (you can search for groups near you here) and ask if they have a wish list or another type of flyer that you can post around town – hit up grocery stores, mom-n-pop style shops, pet stores, your office and your neighborhood. Certain local rescues/shelters may be having special events for Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month which you can help promote. Another great way to get involved in the Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat cause is by writing an op-ed about the importance of pet adoption to your local paper (even the smaller newspapers will publish it!).
- Foster: Sign up as a kitty-cat foster parent then have the time of your life caring for the little guys. Be sure you record your adventures on Twitter and Facebook or a blog using the hashtag #AdoptaCatMonth. Then you can spread the word and tell all your friends how rewarding and wonderful the experiences are. Contact your local shelter or rescue group, or register in Petfinder’s volunteer database.
This post is sponsored by BlogPaws. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Adopt-a-Cat Month, but ThoughtsFurPaws only shares information it feels to be relevant to readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.
SOURCE: Thoughts Fur Paws – Read entire story here.