Hi Humans,
I hope you had a pawesome weekend!
After 3.5 years of writing “The Alpha Dog Blog”, I’ve decided to dedicate this week’s post – to cats!
This is due to 4 reasons:
1. We love cats!
2. June is “Adopt a Shelter Cat Month”
3. my cat, Charlie, passed away exactly 3 years ago, so I’m dedicating today’s post to him
4. We LOVE cats!
After this short introduction, I want to introduce you to today’s very special blogger: Erin Gleeson.
Erin is the outreach specialist at 1-800-PetMeds, where she oversees the PetMeds Cares shelter donation program as well as the blogger outreach program. She is a long-time south Florida resident with a degree in public relations from the University of Florida. Erin enjoys volunteering at her local humane society and fostering kittens too young for adoption. To see more of what she’s written, visit www.petmeds.org!
June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month and even though we focus on dogs, this month is important for everyone to know about.
Adopt a Shelter Cat Month was started by the ASPCA to spread awareness of the millions of homeless cats in the U.S. waiting for families. Did you know the start of June marks the beginning of kitten season? This time of year, cats across the country are breeding, and shelters are full of kittens and cats in need of homes.
According to the ASPCA, about 3.4 million cats enter U.S. shelters each year*. Unfortunately, 41 percent of these cats are euthanized (1.4 million cats). Another shocking statistic? Of all the cats brought in to shelters each year as strays, only 5 percent are ever reclaimed by their families. The end result is overcrowded shelters and endless numbers of homeless cats.
However, you can help make a difference! The first and most important step is to always spay and neuter your pets. Even if your cat is going to be indoors-only, cats can escape through open doors and windows, ending up outside. There, an intact cat can quickly contribute to cat overpopulation.
Also, if you’re looking to add a cat or kitten to your family, visit your local shelter. Chances are good that they have lots of wonderful cats waiting for homes!
For more ideas on how you can help, visit this article by the American Humane Association. They also promote cat adoption this month with their Adopt a Cat Month.
Involved in cat rescue or know someone who is? Tell the cat rescue to enter 1-800-PetMeds’ Adopt a Shelter Cat Contest! The three winning groups will receive Advantage II adoption kits for their homeless cats. Visit the contest entry form at http://www.petmeds.org/adopt-a-cat-month/ to enter by June 14 and then vote for your favorite group to win!
*ASPCA statistics: https://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics
Thanks for this beautiful and important read, Erin!
To end this post, here are some photos we’ve received of cats enjoying DOGTV.
Have a great week!
Ron
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