Kitten season – the time of year where animal shelters and rescues are inundated with litters of felines … and it’s going on now.

What will happen to all of these little ones, and the ones that will be born later this year and the ones born to those youngsters also not spayed? Will each one find a special home?  Doubtful.

More than one million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are euthanized in animal shelters annually, according to the ASPCA. Between strays (especially stray cats and kittens) which aren’t reclaimed by owners and animals that aren’t adopted (only about half of the animals that go into shelters are adopted, the ASPCA notes), sadly many animals, especially cats and kittens, lose their lives. That would be less so if more were spayed/neutered, and therefore, not contributing to the population and to the numbers needing to be adopted.
An unspayed female cat and her offspring can contribute several thousand additional cats in a lifetime. Here are a few “cat facts” listed on Georgia’s Fayette Humane Society’s website:

• An average cat has between 1 and 8 kittens per litter and 2 to 3 litters each year.
• During her reproductive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens.
• A single pair of cats and their many kittens can produce as many as 420,000 more kittens in only seven years.

Animal shelters and rescue organizations become overwhelmed with the number of kittens brought to them during “kitten season.” This makes for a very good reason to fix one’s pets/cats.

Many myths exist about spaying and neutering, and most are just that: myths. Here are some facts about pets that are fixed:

1. They tend to be better behaved.
2. They tend to be more affectionate.
3. Spayed females don’t attract unwanted, aggressive males nor do they exhibit the nervous behaviors from hormonal changes and cry piteously for a mate.
4. Neutered males are less likely to mark territory (such as your couch!) and they are less likely to roam.
5. Because they don’t roam as much and because they make better house pets, they are less likely to die – from fights, being hit by cars, or getting a disease, like rabies or distemper, from other outdoor animals.

 
 If you have concerns about the surgery and its effect on your pet (the animal does have to undergo anesthesia, discuss these with your vet. No one is more knowledgeable about surgical procedures and the pros and cons of spaying and neutering than your veterinarian.  
To learn more about spaying and neutering myths and facts, visit
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/spay_neuter_myths_facts.html

Lack of homes and pet overpopulation is a serious national, regional, state and community problem –so let’s fix the problem by fixing our pets – we can all help stop the “littering” problem and help our animal shelters and rescues better deal with “kitten season.”
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Another way to help during kitten season? Adopt! With a few more days of June left, the month designated as Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat, you are likely to find a wonderful feline friend, whether kitten or adult cat – perhaps at for a discounted adoption fee. Visit your local animal shelter, humane society, or pet rescue organization, and add a purring, furry friend to your household!

“So far, we’ve done 72 cats and kittens and we still have 20 to 30 more to go,” explained the woman who sat across the table from me.
 
We shared coffee and conversation during my recent visit to Oregon for a family reunion. I learned about the all-volunteer pet rescue organization Hope 4 Paws – Grant County from two different people while visiting relatives in Prairie City, Oregon, and after garnering a contact phone number, I was now learning more about the group. With so many feral, unaltered cats in the community of John Day, this group had secured a grant as well as local donations and was working with an area veterinarian to spay and neuter cats in a mobile home park. Most of the felines were being fixed under a Trap-Neuter-Return program, while many kittens were being vaccinated and altered then adopted to loving families. This small group of people (less than 12 volunteers) made a commitment to their community and to the animals of that community to help animals in need. I left a small donation to help toward the next round of vaccinations and spay/neuter as well as two of my books to use as part of a future fundraising endeavor.
 
Commitment is critical to pet rescue.  For the past 10 years in my state of residence, Wyoming, a pet rescue organization has committed to not just helping pets in need, but to saving lives of animals in the state’s kill-shelters. Black Dog Animal Rescue (BDAR) began saving dogs’ lives throughout the state, fostering them in volunteers’ homes, and adopting them to new loving families. During the past decade, the organization has grown, now also taking in cats, and instituting a partnership with a medium correctional facility to implement a program preparing dogs for adoption behavior and training program called P.A.C.K. – inmates work with the dogs on obedience and some agility training.  A recent program graduate named Niffy, now christened Tiffy, was adopted by one of my friends.

Barb began looking for a dog a few months ago and asked me for advice on where to adopt. I gave her several suggestions, including BDAR. She was familiar with the organization from a family member living in Cheyenne, the community where BDAR is located, about a 3-hour drive from our town of Casper. Barb and her husband took a day to drive down after putting in an adoption application for this 2-year-old border collie cross they had seen on BDAR’s website. Barb was looking for a dog which would hike, run, and bike with her, and Niffy appealed to her due to the border collie’s nature of being energetic. She also considered putting the dog into an agility program, another activity for which border collies are skilled. Barb was impressed with both the dog and the organization.
 
“They were very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions,” she told me after adopting from BDAR. “It’s been a long time since I’ve adopted a dog. It was a pleasant and positive experience, and I’d recommend BDAR and do it again. And Tiffy – I just love her! She was shy the first few days but now she has learned the routine of the house. She is smart, she is affectionate, and she learns quickly. I’m excited to see how she does with agility.”
 
Why do I support animal rescue? For several reasons, including the fact pet rescue is necessary. With nearly seven million animals going into shelters across the country every year, and the many strays and community cat colonies with little to no medical needs met, rescues are critical to the health and welfare of both community animals and humans. All this takes commitment. Many times, as in the case of Oregon’s Hope 4 Paws, it’s a group of volunteers who make that commitment. BDAR began as an all-volunteer organization, but saving the lives of dogs and cats across an entire state is a huge, fulltime job. Therefore, the group now provides a small staff; but, they continue to rely upon volunteers to help, as most non-profit organizations do. The commitment of people to help animals in need inspires and awes me; therefore, I suppport these organizations who do this work.
 
Without commitment from staff members and volunteers, where would the animals, and the communities, be? I’m so grateful to these and all the animal rescue organizations for what they do, and I will continue supporting pet rescue groups in various ways as long as I live.
 
How about you? What can you do to help pet rescue groups in your area? For ideas, visit these websites:
https://barkpost.com/good/13-ways-to-help-animal-shelters/
 
https://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/25-creative-ways-to-help-animal-shelters

I reached my hand between the slots of the cage bars. I knew I shouldn’t, but her amber eyes beckoned. She rubbed her small, round, reddish head against my fist. Her dainty purring, barely audible, captured my heart, and she came home with me later that day.
 
Her name was Ama – a strange moniker, but one she kept for the next 16 years we shared. The year was 1991; the place was the Bozeman, Montana Humane Society. Ama and I experienced five moves in the years between adoption and her passing at nearly 19. Through it all, she remained a friendly feline princess, her luxurious long orange and white coat and her delicate Ragdoll breed features giving her that royal appearance. During the many seasons we shared the household, having Ama in my life during times of stress helped calmed me, providing a quiet, nonjudgmental companionship that helped through the eddies of life.
 
There are many joys and benefits of living with a cat. Studies show pet owners generally lead healthier lives and have less stress. Here are a few benefits of living with a cat:
 

1. The simple act of petting an animal helps calm people. Cats often enjoy sitting on their special person’s lap, and the act of stroking their fur provides a sense of tranquility and connection between the person and the cat.
2. The purring of a cat is soothing. No matter your age, the sound of a cat’s purr brings smiles to our faces.
3. Playing with a cat is easier compared to playing with a dog. A simple string or a feather on a pole or stick suffices a cat’s curiosity and sense of hunting – and you can engage your cat from your couch or chair.
4. Cats offer comfort. When you’re physically or emotionally ill, having your cat lay in your lap or next to you in bed provides comfort through companionship.
5. Cats can help reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Whether you take your cat for a walk on a leash or simply reduce your stress by petting your furry friend, the exercise and lower stress benefit your physical health.

 
June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. Rescue organizations often promote this special month with special adoption rates on cats and kittens. Find your princess (or prince) of a cat at your local shelter or rescue group this month and enjoy the joys of living with a cat – just like I did with Ama.

June is Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, a time to bring to light the millions of cats who are in need of homes. Because spring and early summer are considered “kitten season,” a time when thousands more cats and kittens need care and new homes, animal shelters and rescues across the country designate June as Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month.
 
Here is a short list of things you can do to help, whether or not you can adopt:

1. If you’re able and have been thinking about adding a cat to your home, this a good time to do so. Many shelters and rescues reduce their adoption fees for cats during this month. So, if you can, adopt a cat in June.
2. Contact your local rescue or shelter and learn what their wish list is and then donate things like cat litter, cat food, and cleaning products, or other items on that list.
3. Donate money to your local shelter or rescue. Not only do these groups need funds for organizational costs, but medical vet bills can pile up, especially with the added number of litters of kittens brought in.
4. Sign up to be a foster parent to help the shelter rescue and save more mamma cats and their babies.
5. Volunteer at your local rescue or shelter, playing with the cats (or walking the dogs), or however else the organization may need volunteers to serve.
6. Spay and/or neuter your own pets, including your cats, and encourage your friends and members of your community to do the same. Don’t add to the cat overpopulation (and therefore, death) problem.
7. Spread the word about kindness by talking with your children, your friends, and others about cat adoption, volunteering, and donating during this month.

 
By helping organizations that help cats, whether it’s through actual adoption, by volunteering, through community education, or by donating funds and supplies, you are helping cats in need during this special time of year.

Science has proven that having a pet has many health benefits for people, including lowering one’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Some of that is attributed to walking and other exercise activities with a dog. But, what about cats? Does living with a cat benefit a person?
 
The answer is YES! According to PetMD’s daily Vet Blog, owning a cat also has health benefits. Those include reducing stress levels and blood pressure, which can also help reduce cardiovascular disease. Having a cat can also reduce the risk of depression. Having a furry companion eases loneliness and helps a person unwind and decompress after a rough day at work or school. Cats provide special companionship, and though they tend to be more loners than dogs, cats are also affectionate and playful, helping people not feel so alone and helping them be active, even if it’s just tossing a ball or a catnip mouse across the room. In fact, cat companionship seems especially beneficial to people who live alone or are widowed.
 
Additionally, a 20-year study found that people who live with cats were 40% least likely to die from a heart attack, and cat owners visit doctors 12% less frequently than non-cat-owners.
Although some people are allergic to cats, exposure to dander and fur in the house can “result in increased resistance to allergens, decreasing risk for allergies and asthma,” according to Health Fitness Revolution.com.
 
A psychological study showed that children who grow up with pets, including cats, tend to have greater compassion, empathy, and higher self-esteem.

Two different friends have added cats to their homes in the past few years. One adopted an adult male cat, the other obtained a female kitten. Both agree the benefits of companionship, laughter, and relaxation and much more come with living with a cat.
 
A cuddle with your kitty, a purring lap sitter, or a frisky game of chase the feather chases away the blues and provides fun and laughter. A cat is a wonderful companion, and in its unspoken way benefits a pet parent in a variety of ways.

So, hug your kitty today … and if you don’t have one or are thinking of adding another to your home, adopt one today! June is Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month, a great time to consider adding a feline friend to your family – there are millions in need of homes, and you can be one of those life-saving heroes. Both you and the cat will benefit.

June is National Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, and there is still time to find your furry feline friend!

Every summer numerous cats and kittens find themselves in shelters and rescues across the country. This is the time of year known as “kitten season” and wherever you go to adopt an animal, you are sure to find plenty of friendly felines just waiting for loving families! Some shelters are following the lead of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah and greatly reducing adoption fees; check with your local rescue, animal shelter or humane society.

And if you need a good reason to adopt a cat this month in addition to lower adoption fees, here are some reasons why adding a kitty to your clan can be a good idea:

• A cat will keep you entertained with her playful antics.
  
  
• A cat cleans herself – rarely do you have to bath one like you do a dog!
  
  
• Cats are more independent than dogs – you can go to work daily or even take a weekend trip and not worry about how or where your cat is going to the bathroom!
  
  
• A cat doesn’t have to be housebroken – using the litter box comes naturally, and most mama cats teach their kittens how to use a box very quickly.
  
  
• A cat doesn’t need a lot of space, therefore, a kitty makes an excellent pet for small homes and in apartments where landlords allow pets.
  
  
• A kitty doesn’t need to go outside for exercise – no walks around the neighborhood or games of catch or Frisbee; so again, it’s a good choice for apartment or condo dwellers.
  
  
• Cats need minimal toys with which to be entertained, and those toys cost little money. A scratching post, a feather fishing pole, and some catnip mice work wonders for a cat’s curiosity and entertainment!
  
  
• Many cats love to cuddle yet they also value their alone time – you have the best of both worlds when you get a cat!
  

Whether you choose an adult, a kitten, or a senior, a cat can decrease blood pressure, alleviate depression, and help combat other health issues. In fact, recent studies show that a cat’s purr lowers stress and lessens chance of heart attack in people. So, consider adopting a kitty this month – a purr-fect furry companion is waiting for you!