June is national Adopt a Cat Month
Rather than detailing the virtues of shelter cats and the way your life will be enhanced when you adopt one, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have welcomed a cat into your home, life and heart.
You know cats are not aloof, that cats are social, affectionate, and can be trained. You’ve thrown off the dog-colored glasses and see your cat in all his or her feline magnificence. Your heart melts at the sound of your cat’s purr. And I bet you are the first to get up and see what may be wrong when your cat belts out a yowl of distress.
Once a cat becomes a part of the family, friends and strangers alike bask in kitty’s adorableness. Cat lovers are not shy about sharing the cuteness of their cat. Funny cat videos are the number one thing on YouTube. Of course some are a little questionable, but many are full of antics our own cats have done.
For example, have you twittered #cat recently? Make sure you have a few spare hours when you do, for inside #cat are hundreds of twitpics, instagrams, video links, and posts by cat people across the globe. Sure, there will be many posts written in an unfamiliar language, but when you open the photo, you will know that they love their kitty.
In a recent look-see into #cat, I waded through photos of kittens clambering for attention, a cat asleep belly-up on a chair, blurry closeups of feline faces, a determined cat tearing up the newspaper, and cats caught being cute in baskets, boxes, and under blankets. My favorite is the snap of a cat on top of a large fish tank, waiting to ambush some unsuspecting fish (at least that’s what her owner thinks she’s thinking).
After navigating beyond the plethora of instagrams (all the while wishing it was an Android app), I stumbled on helpful health and behavior tips, cat rescues proudly proclaiming when a cat got adopted or promoting a shelter cats for adoption, notices of pet food recalls, feline news reports — including the sad story of the passing of the 39 lb cat — and chances to win something when I enter my pet’s photo.
#cat is not an exclusive club — even dog lovers can enter. Once you do, however, you may start wishing for a feline friend. When that happens, there is a shelter full of cute, cuddly, purr-full kitties waiting to meet you.
Young, old, Tabby, Siamese, polydactyl, and Manx.
Become a cat person this June when you adopt from the Cat Adoption Team, Oregon Humane Society, SW Washington Humane Society, Pixie Project, House of Dreams, Washington County Animal Services, Multnomah County Animal Services, or even directly from another cat person needing to rehome their kitty.
There’s a purr-fect match just waiting!