Happy Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month!

June. It’s the perfect time of year to get some sun, hang out at the beach — and adopt a shelter cat!

Photo courtesy Sir_Iwan

Each spring and early summer is “kitten season.” By June, thousands of recently born kittens find themselves joining the millions of cats already up for adoption in shelters nationwide. That means your local shelter likely has more than enough forever friends waiting there for you.

So this summer, please carefully consider adopting a shelter cat no matter if it’s your first or a companion for another cat. As they say, when you adopt a shelter cat, you save two lives: the cat you’re adopting, and by adopting that cat, you open up a spot at the shelter for another.

That said, I know many of my readers are cat people and may already have several in their family. If so, no worries! There are still a number of ways you can help out this month:

Adopt: Again, if you’re considering adopting, please visit a shelter near you and simply look around. To find a shelter near you, visit Petfinder.com’s shelter list that includes nearly 14,000 shelters! Once there, the shelter’s adoption staff will be happy to introduce you to their cats.

If you’re not ready to make that step, search online by visiting Petfinder.com.

Each adoption is special, but if you’re open to it, please consider adopting a special needs cat, specifically one with cerebellar hypoplasia. Special needs pets are less adoptable and usually spend more time in shelters. If you’re curious about cerebellar hypoplasia you can learn more here. You may also want to browse this list of adoptable cerebellar hypoplasia cats.

Photo courtesy Taekwonweirdo

Foster: If you have the time and resources, fostering is a great way to help cats who aren’t ready for shelter life. Learn more about fostering here, and if you’re interested, contact your local shelter.

Donate: Many shelters are in constant need of many household items. Contact your local shelter to find out if they’re in need of anything specific. Perhaps you have a few things around your home that you’ve been thinking about donating that they could use. Here’s a list of some items they may need.

If you’re strapped for things to donate, don’t worry! There are many other ways you can give to your local shelter. Donating financially is always an option, but perhaps you can do other things, too, like baking for a fundraiser, and things like that.

Volunteer: Giving your time to your local shelter is another wonderful way to show that you care. Even if you go and end up petting cats all day, you’re giving them the time, attention, love, and socialization that they need.

Volunteering is also a great activity that you can do with friends and children, depending on their age. At my shelter, we have one young volunteer who likes to come and read to our shy cats. It’s a wonderful example of how she and the cats both get something out of the experience. Visit or call your local shelter to find out how you can help.

Spread the word: Don’t worry, little things can make a big difference too. Post on Facebook about Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month, Tweet about it, write about it on your blog, or simply bring it up in conversation. The power of word of mouth can’t be beat!

Are you doing anything to celebrate Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat-Month? Or have you adopted a shelter cat? Please share in the comments!