{"id":19853,"date":"2020-06-29T00:10:39","date_gmt":"2020-06-29T04:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/?p=19853"},"modified":"2021-03-07T11:58:25","modified_gmt":"2021-03-07T16:58:25","slug":"june-adopt-a-shelter-cat-month-10-great-reasons-to-adopt-a-cat-during-covid-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/june-adopt-a-shelter-cat-month-10-great-reasons-to-adopt-a-cat-during-covid-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"June – Adopt a Shelter Cat Month: 10 Great Reasons to Adopt a Cat During COVID and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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There are a couple of facts when it comes to cats \u2013 one being, unfortunately, that there are millions of them at any given moment living in shelters in need of a good home, and two, that it\u2019s been proven<\/a> cats can decrease our depression, stress and anxiety levels, lower our blood pressure, and decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke by having them around. With our current COVID-19 landscape, defined by stress and anxiety, and June Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, it seems the purr-fect time to bring that feline shelter companion to your life and household. Save a cat\u2019s life and they save yours. Seems fair to me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Okay, let\u2019s get the obvious out of the way. It\u2019s nearly the end of June, so why the article now? Well, the reality is, shelter cats need a good home in June, July, August, or any other month for that matter, so this article is ALWAYS<\/strong> relevant. Granted, adoption is not as easy as it was pre-COVID, but it can be done<\/strong>. Check with your local shelters for individual social distancing and adoption guidelines for starters, with many of them offering virtual adoption applications, virtual meet and greets, and adoption events hosted online or through social media channels. Many will also schedule phone or video chat conversations with adoption counselors to answer questions and facilitate adoptions and appointment-only adoption hours.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are also many curbside pet adoption services, such as SASF Roadside Adoptions & Fosters<\/a>, designed to get pets into forever homes in a sanitary, social-distancing-friendly way. Petfinder.com<\/a> is also a great resource, allowing you to look at cats available for adoption in your area in one quick and easy website. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Once you make the decision and are approved for a pet, get everything in order BEFORE<\/strong> the kitty arrives. This is true whether you already have cats in your household or this will be an only cat. Prepare a safe and secure area for your new friend with a litter box, toys, food, cat beds, and more so she can get acclimated to her new life. Even with your best intentions, cats need time to ease into new circumstances, so give your relationship time to grow. If you and kitty aren\u2019t BFF\u2019s the first day, there’s no need to rush things – it\u2019s a lifetime commitment for both you and kitty, but one that will be rewarding in so many ways.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

So, what are you waiting for? Here are 10 great reasons to adopt, updated to reflect life in this new social distancing world: \u00a0<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\r\n

1.<\/strong> They give you a reason to get out of bed. Let\u2019s face it, life is difficult nowadays and sometimes we wonder what it\u2019s all about. Having a warm and furry being that is eagerly awaiting your company \u2013 not just to feed them \u2013 but because they want to share the day with you, gives your life a sense of purpose and responsibility. Plus, you don\u2019t have to wear a mask or stand 6 feet away from them, either.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Okay lady, time to step away from the computer. It’s your nightly reminder that it’s time to feed me dinner.<\/p><\/div>\r\n

2.<\/strong> They put time in perspective. COVID has us questioning what day it is at any given moment. Cats are like a fine-crafted Swiss watch. They know when breakfast, lunch, and dinner is and they will not let you forget it, so you at least can acknowledge when one day has passed to the next, even if you don\u2019t know which one in particular. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

3.<\/strong> Personal hygiene and fashion get a free pass. Cats don\u2019t care that you haven\u2019t showered in two days or that your go-to work outfit is a pair of Hello Kitty sweats and a ratty \u201cI Love Cats More Than People\u201d t-shirt circa 1985. They also don\u2019t mind that your hair is now defined in horizontal stripes rather than vertical highlights beginning with that one dark stripe from the scalp about 6 inches down which is the actual God-given hair color you haven’t seen in years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

4.<\/strong> Your cat loves you as you are and does not judge you based on the news, current events, or anything else for that matter. They are loyal, devoted companions that don\u2019t care what your income level is, what your religious beliefs are, what color your skin is, or how much you weigh. They don\u2019t care if you have a college degree, what kind of car you drive, or if you live in a palace or a box. In fact, a box might be preferred. You can be straight, gay, male, female, young, old, black, white, short, tall, and on and on. All they care about is having your care and love \u2013 you give them that, and they will return it a thousand times over.<\/p>\r\n

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Who knew something as simple as playing with a few pieces of papyrus grass could bring such joy to both me and my cats?<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

5.<\/strong> They are entertaining and give you a reason to smile, allowing you to take a break from the never-ending sensational news media and mindless TV that permeates our airwaves nowadays. Whether you watch a cat playing with a toy or napping peacefully in a sun-puddle, they give you a moment to pause and reflect in the simple joy of it, all without a political agenda, other than perhaps excepting a treat for their efforts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u00a06.<\/strong> \u00a0They\u2019re great company. With social distancing, many of us have lost our social outlets and we have no one to talk to which can cause the mind to go a bit stir-crazy and bonkers. Sure, we have Zoom, but not all of us have mastered the technology, and really, how many times a day do you want to invite people into your poorly lit office space to look at you on screen? Who needs the stress of putting on a clean shirt and running a comb through your hair for a video chat when you can talk to your cat instead? \u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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But I am helping…Who better than me to lie on top of your keyboard says Kizmet.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

7.<\/strong> They help us work remotely from home. Need a cat to lie across your keyboard when you have an important writing assignment due? Check. Have an important Microsoft Teams meeting scheduled with the boss? That\u2019s the perfect time for your cat to very vocally either hack up a furball with such dramatic flair one would think a murder was occurring in your house or to put on a persistent parade of meows, insisting 10:15 a.m. is<\/em> dinner time and they must be fed this very minute or perish from hunger.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

8.<\/strong> They help us keep fit. There is no question COVID has encouraged laziness in many of us and having a cat changes that. At the very least, you must step away from your computer to feed them (how many Fitbit steps is it from your office to the kitchen?) and arm muscles are used to scoop litter, pick up bags of cat food, and unload cans of cat food from your Chewy.com delivery. Then there\u2019s the bending up and down to pick up food and water dishes to clean them, as well as scheduling regular interactive playtime with kitty \u2013 it not only brightens your cat\u2019s day, but it gets your butt off the couch at the same time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

9.<\/strong> While cats certainly need to have basic needs met \u2013 food, litter, veterinary care, and things of that nature, they are relatively low maintenance and because of that, they make great pets across so many levels \u2013 they can get along with children, other cats, dogs, and more. With the right care and patience, they can adapt to virtually any circumstance, COVID included, so there really are very few valid reasons why someone should not adopt a cat.<\/p>\r\n

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My hair is a mess, my home office in shambles, and the world is upside down. But through it all, I make my cats happy and they make me happy and that’s all that really matters.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

10.<\/strong> Most importantly, cats can change our lives and each one of them deserves a chance for a happy life and a good home. It\u2019s a win for everyone \u2013 the overcrowded shelter, the cat, and you. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Those are some of our reasons to adopt a shelter cat, what are some of yours?<\/p>\r\n

\"hearts\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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For further information on subjects about bringing a new cat or kitten into your home, multi-cat integration, and tips to keep cats happy and healthy in an everyday environment, please consider some of the other articles I’ve written:<\/p>\r\n

New Kitten on the Block, Kittens 101, 2016 Edition<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Keepin\u2019 the Peace in a Multi-Cat Household: Tips, Tricks and Practical Advice!<\/a><\/p>\r\n

10 Tips to Relieve Feline Boredom in the Same Old 24\/7 Environment<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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There are a couple of facts when it comes to cats \u2013 one being, unfortunately, that there are millions of them at any given moment living in shelters in need of a good home, and two, that it\u2019s been proven cats can decrease our depression, stress and anxiety levels, lower our blood pressure, and decrease […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1098,1378,992],"tags":[1412,249,832],"class_list":["post-19853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cat-behavior","category-feline-human-bond","category-rescue-and-advocacy","tag-covid-and-cats","tag-feline-human-bond","tag-shelter-cats"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ADPOT-A-CAT-MONTH.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19853"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20229,"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19853\/revisions\/20229"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeezoey.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}