June is Adopt A Cat Month

Jun 12, 2014

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June is Adopt A Cat Month

June is adopt a cat month and it’s that time of year when many shelters are busting at the seams with cute and adorable kittens. Not to mention the millions of adult cats that are waiting to be adopted. Many pet adoptions organizations are running campaigns with the hopes of putting more cats in homes. For instances, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona has reduced their adoption fees to $15 for adult cats and kittens are two for one. And GoodMews in Atlanta GA, has reduced their adoption fees to $9 – cleverly named “9 Lives for $9”.

Wagbrag wants you to have successful adoption experience. Here are important things to consider before you adopt.

Important Things To Consider Before You Adopt A Cat or Kitten

Commitment

Are you ready to adopt a kitten from a shelter? This is a decision that should not be taken lightly. A cat can live for more than fifteen years. This is a real commitment that you need to think about and discuss with your family.

Cats Get Checked by a Vet Before Adoption

You will mostly likely not be able to go into a cat shelter and walk right out with a kitten. There is a process you need to go through. Be prepared. The shelter will want you to visit two to three times before choosing a cat to adopt. The cat or kitten you choose will be spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated, and de-flead, de-wormed, and possibly micro chipped. They will (hopefully) have already seen a veterinarian for a wellness check-up. The vet will check her over, help determine the cat’s age if necessary, give the appropriate vaccinations, be spayed or neutered, be de-flead (if necessary), de-wormed (if necessary), and possibly be micro chipped (which will help you find her if she wanders off).

Budget – Cat Care at Home

Before you adopt ensure you can afford the cost of caring for a kitten. Once you get your kitten or cat home you will need to provide her with food, water, a litter box, litter, and toys. When you first get your cat, you’ll need to spend about $25 for a litter box, $10 for a collar, and $30 for a carrier. Food runs about $170 a year, plus $50 annually for toys and treats, $175 annually for litter and an average of $150 for veterinary care every year, according to the ASPCA. Make sure you budget for these things every month. You will also need time to play with your kitten every day, as well as clean the litter box.

Cat Adoption Costs

It will cost you approximately $100 to adopt a kitten from a shelter. However, as mentioned above, many organizations are offering reduced adoption fees for Adopt A Cat month. Make sure you get all the papers that shows proof of the veterinarian visit, vaccinations, and everything else. You will need this information for the next veterinarian visit, and it proves that the shelter did their job with the kitten.

Cat Adoption Process

Find a local shelter that has kittens. There are no kill shelters and kill shelters, and there is always debate about which one you should adopt from – which will benefit the cats more. That’s for another article. Set up a meeting to look at the kittens they have. At some point during this meeting you will have to fill out an application to adopt a kitten from their shelter. This will include your veterinarian’s name, address and phone number. You will also have to fill out your name, address and phone numbers, as well as some references. If you have adopted animals elsewhere have the other organization’s information with you as well. Since the shelter will need some time to process your application (verify everything) you should make two more appointments to look at the kittens and choose one. Sometimes they choose you!

Think about adopting a kitten and whether or not it is the right thing for you and your family. They are adorable companions, and need lots of love. Shelters are often overflowing with cats and kittens who need a good home. If you can give it to one it will mean the world.