NEW YORK—This June, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) will celebrate national “Adopt-a-Shelter Cat” Month to raise awareness about the importance of “making pet adoption your first option,” especially considering the wide variety of beautiful cats and kittens in need of loving homes in shelters across the country.
“In today’s economy, local shelters need their community’s support,” says ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. “One of the kindest contributions the public can make is to adopt a new pet and give it the love and care it desperately needs. By celebrating June as Adopt-A-Shelter Cat Month, the ASPCA aims to raise awareness of the life and death situations faced by so many shelter cats every year.”
It is estimated that approximately five to seven million companion animals enter animal shelters each year. Further, it is estimated that approximately 70 percent of the cats are euthanized, many of whom are healthy and adoptable—simply due to lack of space and resources.
In order to help potential adopters find the purr-fect cat, the ASPCA created the Meet Your Match® (ASPCA MYM) adoption program, which is being used by hundreds of animal shelters and rescue groups across the country. The ASPCA MYM program assesses the “Feline-ality™” of adoptable cats and matches them with their perfect pet parents based on compatibility. Based on their assessments, the cats are assigned one of nine feline-alities which fall into three major purple, orange, and green color-coded categories. The descriptions are added to the cat’s cage (or kennel) card, and the cats are then ready to meet their potential human matches. Some examples include the shy, but sweet “Secret Admirer,” the naturally playful and curious “Sidekick,” and the big cat on campus, “Leader of the Band.”
“The ASPCA MYM program is a perfect fit for any family,” says Dr. Emily Weiss, the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Shelter Research & Development, and developer of the program. “Potential pet adopters can easily be overwhelmed with choices of breed, size, and even coat color, but with this unique adoption process, a potential adopter will be able to complete the MYM Adopter Survey, meet all their four-legged matches, and choose the perfect pet for their family.”
For more information on how to choose the right feline for your family, how to find a shelter in your area, or more information on the ASPCA’s plans for Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month in June, please visit www.aspca.org.
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has more than one million supporters throughout North America. A 501 [c][3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York’s animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series “Animal Precinct” on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.