Adopting a stray cat or a homeless catat an animal shelter is a wonderful experience that every animal lover should do sometime in her life. However, many wonder which of these options is the most appropriate, what steps must be followed to adopt a cat or what are the advantages of adopting a kitten or puppy in instead of an adult cat.
If you are also wondering if you should adopt a cat, you have come to the right place, on our site we will try to guide you so that you know the main reasons to adopt and we will also offer you some useful tips to follow any first-time owner or who does not know what is the procedure to follow to adopt. Discover on our site 10 reasons to adopt a cat, you'll love them!
1. Cat abandonment, a worldwide problem
According to data from the Affinity Foundation [1], in 2016 33,335 dropouts were recorded of domestic cats in Spain, although the truth is that there were probably many more than are not known. Of all of them, 2,333 were euthanized and about 15,000 ended up being adopted. But what about the rest? 16% returned to their owners, 20% died, were delivered to a foster home or returned to a settler, and the remaining 12% will remain forever in a shelter. These figures are the same and even more alarming in other countries, such as Mexico, where almost 500,000 dogs and cats are abandoned each year. [two]
It is important to note that not all stray or homeless cats can be integrated into a home, since feral cats (those that have always lived on the street and are not socialized) will never adapt to living with people or other animals. In these cases, the "CES" is practiced: capture, sterilize and release.
In any case, Being aware of the large number of dropouts that occur in the world is essential to understand the importance of the adoption. In addition, abandonment generates a public he alth problem, directly affects the welfare of animals and encourages uncontrolled breeding.
two. Adoption can avoid a sacrifice
Currently in Spain we only find two communities in which there is the zero sacrifice law: Catalonia and Madrid. However, in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, it is completely legal to slaughter animals, especially when we talk about cats sick, elderly, with behavior problems or little adoptable.
Adopting a cat, especially in one of the communities where animals are sacrificed, assures us that we are saving a life and, in addition, we will be leaving a free spaceso that another animal can enter and be adopted after ours. Remember that in animal shelters and kennels you can find cats of any age, appearance or character, because even breed cats are abandoned. Let's help balance the bad praxis of human beings!
3. You will have a unique companion
Although purebred cats are usually very desirable, the truth is that they tend to be adopted much earlier, for this reason, the majority of cats abandoned in shelters are mestizos. What advantage does this detail represent? To begin with, most purebred cats tend to have a predisposition to certain hereditary diseases, which makes mestizos longer-lived cats.
Also, Mongrel cats are unique and have physical and behavioral characteristics unique to each individual. Do you also consider yourself the owner of a unique personality? Do you have a trait that sets you apart from the rest and are you proud of it? Then mongrel cats are for you.
4. You will change the world of a cat
Although many people say that cats are independent animals, the truth is that they are social beings, capable of reasoning and experiencing a wide range of emotionsFor this reason, a cat in a shelter is likely to feel abandoned, without a role model to turn to, and to experience high levels of stress. Adopting a feline that is in this state will provide him with the emotional well-being that he needs and will make the time he spends with you feel happy and loved.
5. Cats are good for your he alth
Although this statement may be somewhat doubtful, the truth is that there are many studies that show that having a cat is beneficial for human he alth. Having a cat improves our mood, increases our self-esteem, prevents allergies in children and reduces the risk of death by heart attack by up to 30%. Amazing, right?
6. An excellent playmate for children
Adopting a cat is a very enriching experience for a child, since it teaches him the importance of adoption, introduces him to the animal care, responsibilities, empathy and responsible ownership. Let's not forget that we, as adults, must teach the little ones to relate positively with animals and that our actions will be an example for them
7. Reasons to adopt a black cat
Did you know that black cats are the least likely to be adopted? This is due, in part, to the fact that black cats are associated with bad luck. This popular belief is the result of ignorance, because black cats do not bring bad luck, is a myth Therefore, if we are to adopt, we can focus on one of the most vulnerable group of cats for adoption: black cats.
8. The advantages of adopting a cat over a dog
Cats are especially clean animals, they adapt to practically any home, they know how to ration their food and they don't need to go out for a walk (! although some guardians do walk their cats!). Undoubtedly, these characteristics make many people choose to have a cat over a dog, however, we must point out that they also need veterinary care, socialize and cannot stay any longer of a day alone at home, as some people believe, because they need company. If we leave, we must make sure that a trusted person can come to our home to make sure everything is going well.
In addition, to avoid the appearance of behavioral problems, we must stimulate our cat to play, enrich its environment with toys and accessories and ensure that its food is of good quality. Although owning a cat is more advantageous than owning a dog, especially for those people who have little time or do not want to go out for a walk with their animals, we must provide them with equally good care.
9. Advantages of adopting an adult cat vs. advantages of adopting a puppy cat
There are some advantages of adopting a puppy cat that are important to know, for example, we can ensure that their socialization is adequate, they are cuteand we will accompany them for a longer time. However, it is also important to point out some advantages of adopting an adult cat, such as the fact of having a defined personality, that they already know how to use the litter box and the scratching post, which will ensure a better adaptation to the home, and the choice of a cat according to our lifestyle.
We also take this opportunity to remember that adult, elderly or physically challenged cats are the least likely to be adopted. Why not give them a second chance too?
10. Cats are cool
Cats are animals possessing a unique character, because each individual is totally unique and different from the others. They can be sleepy, active, playful, affectionate or a little sullen, but any of these personalities can be perfect if they fit with our own identity, don't you think?
But how can we know the personality of a shelter or stray cat? In any case, interacting with him is going to be essential, but let's not forget that first impressions can be somewhat distorted, in most cases due to the mistrust they may have towards people due to their experiences. For this reason, we advise you to consult with a volunteer or person in charge of the center, try to interact with him several times before taking him home and try to make the first impression as positive as possible, perhaps with the help of a prize.
Cats are so cool that you can even fall in love with a pair of siblings or cats that have lived together before and have been abandoned. If there is something better than adopting a cat, it is undoubtedly adopt two friendly cats, so the adaptation process will be much more positive.
Tips for adopting cats
It is important that we consider some preliminary details before adopting a cat from the street or from a shelter, to ensure that its arrival at home will be appropriate and that we are prepared to be good guardians.
Some steps to adopt a cat that we should take into account:
- If we have other cats at home it will be essential that, before bringing the new cat into our home, we visit a veterinarian to rule out parasites and any contagious disease.
- Likewise, if we have other animals, we should consult previously how the presentation of both should be to avoid a negative association from the beginning.
- There are some tips for adopting a street cat that we should know, such as that their adaptation may be slower or that they will insist on going outside (careful, we are not talking about feral cats) so that we must understand his needs and try to make the new lifestyle much more positive for him.
- Before the cat arrives at home we must have all its elements ready: food, litter box, water, scratching posts, bed, nest, toys, structures for cats… Don't wait for your cat to reach house to buy everything you need.
- It will also be essential to know the language and communication of cats in order to understand them, how to use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior and many other curiosities about cats that you can discover on our site.
