Why should you consider rescuing cats? Or just a cat for that matter? It sounds like a win-win situation: Save a life and make a best friend at the same time, right? Or maybe you’re worried about the amount of care/money it would take to rescue a cat. Well, let me tell you why rescuing cats matters.
According to the ASPCA statistics, every year there are approximately 3.4 million cats that enter animal shelters in America. More than 1.4 million of those cats are euthanized. Why? Because of space.
That’s right. Space. When there’s not enough room at the inn for more cats, shelters have to make a difficult decision. What cats seem ‘adoptable’ enough to stay, and what cats simply don’t make the cut. Age and health play a role in these decisions, but the majority of euthanized cats would have lived a long and happy life were they not in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Shelter workers we’ve talked with know just how heartbreaking this practice is. But the fact remains. There’s just not enough room. It’s a hard decision, but someone’s gotta make it, right?
Wrong. Or, kinda wrong. The main reason shelters are forced to make this decision might be space, but imagine if there were more people that understood just how valuable and rewarding it is to be a cat parent?
I know I’m likely preaching to the choir here, but rescuing cats is life-changing. Not simply because you’ve saved a life, but because cats truly enrich our lives too. Cats provide a special breed of love and companionship. They also provide numerous health benefits – such as lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes – all with very little maintenance or inconvenience.
We want to encourage everyone to consider visiting their local shelters. Consider rescuing one of these orphan cats. Spread the word to friends and neighbors that so many cats need you to be an alternative to a premature death.
We know that not everyone can welcome a cat into their home. But we can all learn more about our local shelters. We can find (or even help start) local programs and initiatives that can reduce – and even eliminate – the millions of cats that are killed each year.
Rescuing cats matters. Let’s be a part of positive change in our nations shelters and do what we can to make every life matter.
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