Adopt A Shelter Cat Month

Q: "What time of year do shelters have the most kittens?"

Why is national Adopt A Shelter Cat Month in June? Spring is the height of kitten season. So this adoption event provides increased awareness of all the kitties in need of new homes.

There Is a Furry Friend Waiting For You

by Carrie Profenno: Author, lifelong Mainer & veteran Maine Coon owner

When is Adopt A Shelter Cat Month? Every year, in June!

Have you been on the fence about Maine Coon cat rescue, or adopting a new cat of any breed? It may be the perfect time to find your new feline friend.

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June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

According to the American Humane Society's website: "Approximately 4 million cats end up in animal shelters every year, including thousands born every spring and summer during "kitten season."

To help promote adoptions of these fun, affectionate animals, American Humane celebrates Adopt A Cat Month each June."

What months are kitten season?

Although litters of kittens can be born anytime, many more kittens are born in the spring and early summer.

The time between April and October is considered kitten season.

This increase in kittens leads to an influx of felines into animal shelters. They can be overwhelmed with the number of homeless cats and kittens.

During the spring, shelters are brimming with adoptable cats and kittens of every age. Unfortunately, there are often more felines in a given shelter than they can handle.

As a result of this overpopulation, millions of healthy, lovable and adoptable animals are euthanized every year.

Why Rescue a Shelter Cat?

Cats make awesome pets! They have great qualities that make them perfect pets for all kinds of families, such as:

They are affectionate and cuddly

They are playful, funny and entertaining

They come litter box-trained, no need to housebreak them

They are perfectly suited for any size home, from the extra large to the small apartment

You can leave them to go to work during the day. They will be fine left alone

Felines don't need excessive exercise. Just 15 minutes of playtime with you will satisfy him or her

Kitties are perfect pets for children. Kids learn so much from caring for a pet!

Things to remember during Adopt A Shelter Cat Month:

Many felines are social animals and really appreciate the company of a good friend during the day. Consider welcoming two lovable kitties!

Ready to adopt a kitten? Homes with very young children may be better suited to an older cat.

Young kittens are delicate and require adult (or big kid) handling. A friendly adult cat may be a better fit.

It seems like everyone wants a cute new kitten. If you are open to adopting senior cats, definitely ask about them.

These mature, wonderful, loving animals are often overlooked. These amazing pets deserve forever homes.

Don't forget to spay or neuter your new friend(s), if it isn't already done! And also get a pet microchip for his or her safety.

This permanent identification is so helpful in reuniting lost pets with their pet parents.

About The Adoption Process:

Upside-down Lucy

During Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, adoption fees may be lowered or waived in order to help place the animals.

One more reason it's a good time to bring home your new best friend.

Expect to fill out an adoption application and provide references. Then, find your new furry family member!

Once you've found your perfect match, the folks at the shelter will advise you on the rest of the adoption process.

Your new fur baby will likely already have had initial vaccines, and will probably be spayed or neutered.

Even so, make a vet visit your first priority! Think of it as a rite of passage into the family.

Ready? Great! Run on out to your local shelter and see who steals your heart!

There are adorable felines of every color, personality, and even breed at your favorite shelter. Or, use one of these Maine Coon cat adoption links to find a fur-baby near you:

Texas Cat Rescue - Merlin's Hope

Maine Coon Rescue

Adoptable Cat Search Tool

The search tool is so helpful! Just input your zip code (and choose a breed).

It will display all the available cats and kittens, from various shelters or groups (including Maine Coon Rescue), within your area.

You may also want to call some of those locations, since they may have recent arrivals who are not yet listed on Petfinder.

About Purebred Cat Rescue:

Many of us tend to think of shelter cats as being of the domestic housecat variety, meaning domestic medium hair (DMH), domestic shorthair (DSH) and domestic long hair (DLH). And the vast majority of them are.

pretty tiger and white kitty face closeup

Catty Labelle is happy to be rescued!

Less than 5 percent of felines are purebred, so more than 95 percent of all kitties, especially shelter cats, are of these varieties.

The vast majority are a blend of so many breeds that they are considered no particular breed.

Otherwise known as moggies, alley cats, and housecats, they are absolutely loving and spectacular pets!

There can also be purebred animals who have become homeless as well.

Purebred pet rescue groups are also a resource for adopting a Maine Coon or other breeds.

How to Support Pet Rescue
More ways to help:

If your home is full, and you still want to do something to help these animals in need, here are some ideas:

Make a donation to your local animal shelter. You can donate money or choose something from their wishlist. Pet supplies such as blankets, cat food and kitty litter are always needed.

Consider fostering a litter of newborn kittens (and their mama) until they are old enough for adoption. Your local shelter will be in charge of supplies and veterinary care. They just need a safe, separate home for a while.

Share this article on social media to remind friends and family to get involved. Or add a banner to your social media profile to remind everyone about the importance of pet adoption!

See if there are volunteer opportunities at your shelter.

Volunteering may involve socializing with the kitties, feeding them, cleaning litter boxes and other areas, office work, transporting them to and from veterinary appointments, or going to the shelter during off-hours to administer needed medications.

This Adopt A Shelter Cat Month, let's do what we can to make a difference in the lives of some wonderful homeless pets!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's):

"What time of year do shelters have the most kittens?"

Why is national Adopt A Shelter Cat Month in June? Spring is the height of kitten season. So this adoption event provides increased awareness of all the kitties in need of new homes.

"What is the best month to adopt a kitten?"

To help combat the surge in overpopulation, cat lovers everywhere bring awareness during adopt a shelter cat month - June!

For folks who are ready to adopt a new fur-friend, this is a great time! Have you been wanting to adopt a Maine Coon?

"What color cat is adopted the least?"

Have you heard that black cats are the least likely to be adopted, spend the most time in shelters, and are at the greatest risk of euthanasia?

While there are some studies that support this to some extent, most folks see this as a myth nowadays. It seems that black pets are actually born in higher percentage!

So, since there are more black kitties in general, it stands to reason that there are more of them waiting for their fur-ever homes.

When pets of another color get adopted, that leaves an even higher percentage of black animals behind, which seems to support the theory.

Some shelters and rescue organizations hold special events just to promote these beautiful black animals in need of new homes!

Whether it's fact or myth, one thing is certain - black cats are sweet, loving, and purrfect companions!

"What age cat is best to adopt?"

Shelters may let kittens be adopted as young as eight weeks of age.

It's better for their socialization if they can stay with their mother until twelve weeks. Maine Coon breeders will keep kittens until 12-14 weeks.

This allows them a chance to become confident, well-adjusted family members. But when it comes to pet rescue, sometimes flexibility is in order.

If you are able to adopt an adult cat, any age is a good age! In fact, an older and more mature kitty can be lower maintenance and be a calm, loving addition to the home.

How to Adopt:
Do you want to adopt a Maine Coon? If so, that's great! Let's talk about how Maine Coons can be adopted, how much they cost, and what's involved.

Community Rescue & Adoption Stories:
Here is a collection of some of our most heartwarming Maine Coon rescue stories! These Maine Coons were adopted or rescued and have Fairy-Tail endings to share!

Coonie Adoption Resources:
Are you interested in Maine Coon adoption? They are awesome pets. There are a few different ways to find a Maine Coon of your own.

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