Adopt a Cat Month raises awareness that, annually, 4 million sheltered cats need homes.
Each year, approximately 4 million cats will be placed in animal shelters. Because of this, animal shelters and cat lovers often seek ways to bring attention to homeless cats and their needs. During June -- Adopt a Cat Month -- you can help bring awareness to the fact that so many cats need homes.
Adopt-a-thon
Organize a cat "adopt-a-thon." Work with your local animal shelter to supply homeless cats to interested parties. Promote your event well in advance to increase the number of attendees and possible cats that can be saved. Accept donations as well as the standard fee for adopting animals.
Bake Sale
Bake sales are time-honored fund-raising traditions. Find a local school event or community market and organize a bake sale at this location. Another possible location is outside a pet store or animal shelter. Have volunteers bring cookies, cakes, cupcakes and breads and accept donations intended for your local animal shelter.
Leaflets
Simply get the information out there. Print flyers or create pamphlets with information about homeless cats and the animal shelters that work hard in your community to help them. Pass this information out in high-traffic areas to teach people about the dangers these cats face and what they can do to help. Sharing information online through personal Web pages and blogs is also a way to share information.
Cat Party
Host a party that will allow cat owners to celebrate their feline friends. Demonstrating how adopting homeless animals can enrich your life can inspire others to adopt a cat. Have cat-themed menu items and encourage party guests to come dressed as cats. Hang decorations that include pictures of party guests and their cats. Also, circulate a cat-food dish to collect donations for your local animal shelter.
Spay/Neuter
Spaying or neutering cats is essential to controlling the pet population. Many communities have "trap and return" campaigns that encourage community members to crate cats and bring them to local animal shelters to be fixed before returning them back to the wild. If possible, work with your animal shelter to sponsor an event that offers low-cost spaying and neutering to feral cats that need this service.
Foster Cats
If you can't give a cat a permanent home, you may be interested in fostering one temporarily until it can be placed permanently. Contact your local animal shelter to learn more about the fostering process. Providing a foster home for animals can be another option you offer to interested parties at a cat adopt-a-thon.
Donation Drive
At a school, club meeting or elsewhere in the community, organize an event or tour your neighborhood collecting donations that will benefit the shelter animals. Possible donations include cash, cat toys, pet crates, cat food or blankets. Contact your local shelter or animal sanctuary to learn more about donating guidelines.
Tags: animal shelter, local animal, your local, animal shelters, local animal shelter, your local animal