Desperate Housecats

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association's Pet Ownership and Demographics sourcebook, there are 82 million cats versus 72 million dogs in the U.S. With the busy lives people lead these days it is not surprising that cats out number dogs. People often think that cats require less time than dogs. While this might be true in most cases, our feline friends are great company. Some play fetch, others are more than happy to have dinner with you and still others will always keep your lap warm when watching TV.

There are many fun and interesting facts about cats. Most people know that cats have very sensitive hearing. But did you know they have 32 outer ear muscles that can turn the ear in the direction of sound ten times faster than those of the best watchdog? They can also see about six times better than a human in the dark. With 30 percent of their life spent grooming themselves, cats are clean and tidy pets. The more you learn about cats, the more respect and admiration you will have for them.

Yet despite our love of these furry felines and their increasing popularity, millions of cats still find themselves homeless every year. Sadly, seven out of ten cats are euthanized in our country simply because there is no one to adopt them. Naperville Area Humane Society doesn’t put time limits on our cats and never euthanizes for cage space, but the more we can adopt, the more cats we can save. When one cat finds a home, we can call the next cat in from our waiting list. Adopting one cat saves at least two lives!

Naperville Area Humane Society accepts many unclaimed stray cats from Naperville Animal Control. Sadly, of the stray cats taken in by Naperville Animal Control only 18% are reclaimed by their owners. Statistics show that 1 in 3 pets go missing in their lifetime and without proper ID, 90 percent never return home. The average lifespan of an outdoor cat is only 1-3 years versus the possibility of reaching a ripe old age of 20 years living indoors! Ensuring your cat wears a collar and ID tag and is microchipped can be the difference between life and death. It is crucial however, to make sure the microchip company has your current address and telephone numbers.

Naperville Area Humane Society runs a fun, yet unfortunately very necessary, cat adoption promotion called “Desperate Housecats” every year to spread awareness of homeless cats and to place more in loving homes before kitten season begins in the spring. During the month of March, our adult cat adoption fee is only $5 and the fee for kittens is $100. The fee includes spay or neuter surgery because it’s not just bunnies that reproduce quickly and in great numbers. In just seven years, one un-spayed female cat and one un-neutered male cat and their offspring can produce a staggering 420,000 kittens if none of them are sterilized. Please consider opening your heart and home to a desperate cat. You can visit us at the shelter seven days a week or view our available animals online at www.NapervilleAreaHumaneSociety.org.

Article by Angie Woods - Naperville Area Humane Society

1 comment:

  1. Just goes to show - neutering is vital. Perhaps there should be a squad that catches and neuters them!

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