Want a Furry Friend then look no further Adopt a Shelter Cat.

In 2014 I roughly 64 percent of the total number of animals that entered shelters were euthanize -- approximately 2.7 million animals in just these 1,000 shelters.  This is just a small statistic because animal shelters are not required by law to keep records on how many animals they take in, how many were placed in homes or how many were euthanize. But the above statistics come from the Humane Society last year.
There are all kinds of problems with what we call shelters. They stick animals in steel cages. They are away from their owners who loved them for a lot of different reasons. They can sense that the place they are in is not safe. So friendly docile animals become aggressive because they are scared. Then they are branded incorrigible and they are put down.
Reasons animals are in shelters:

Many animals in shelters are pets whose owners can no longer care for them for a variety of reasons. This may be because their owners:

1. Are moving and cannot take their pet with them.
   
2. Have health problems
   
3. Have become incapacitated or died
   
4. Do not have time for the pet because of changes in their lifestyle, e.g.; new baby, ill family member
   
5. Have other pets who do not get along with this one
   
6. Realize they should never have gotten a pet
   
7. Their long time pet is having health problems or dying and the owner cannot deal with it.
   

A lot of times, people just do not realize that these shelters are just going to put the pet down. They will keep the pet not more than 30 days and then put them down.
So when you think about taking a shelter pet you are saving a life. But you need to think carefully about what kind of animal you want and what kind of problems this animal might be bringing with them. Do you have time to retrain or rehabilitate a shelter animal.

The cat I have now is a shelter animal. Well, not exactly but pretty close to it. She was given to a pet store she did not sell as she was black. They were charging a lot for her. She and all her siblings were still there at three months so she was no longer salable. They were in a cage that should of held two kittens and a small litter box and it held six kittens and a litter box so at least three were sitting in the litter box at one time. This particular pet shop let them out once a day. They also fed really well. But they were over crowded and the kittens next stop would have been the humane society or the pound. Then the next step would have been being put down.

I had thought a lot about what kind of cat I wanted. But it did not have to do with breed. I did a lot of praying about it. I had just lost another shelter cat to cancer of the mouth. That is another problem with taking shelter cats you have no idea of their background. So you do not know if they were feral or they got good food when the mama was pregnant. Or if they were fed right before you got them. I have had all kinds of feral cats and other ones that came from shelters. I had intended this time to take an older cat. I did not really want a kitten. But that is what I was led to and that is what I got.

Now she really was not a problem when I took her home. She was so glad to be out of that cage she just came home with me and settled right into the three bedroom house I lived in at the time. She was indoor/outdoor which meant she could go outside though she never stayed out long. In the first months I had her she even took a trip with me.

Then my daughter came home with her cat. Which worked out alright at first but then she took another cat in and Sophie my good little shelter cat began a war. She peed on everything. She peed on my daughters leather chair, the couch, every couch my daughter brought in, her bed, her clothes. Then my daughters cats began peeing on everything. The more my daughter said she was a bad cat the more my little Sophie acted up. I took her to the vet and checked out if she might have a bladder infection. He assured me she did not and that in his opinion she was angry. The only answer he had was to put her outside until she stopped being angry. I couldn't take that advise right then but in the long term I had no other choice. I put her out with my garage cat and they fought I mean fought violently for who would rule the garage and the yard. I had to really stay out of it as I could not let her back in until she stopped peeing in the house.

It took about a month and in the mean time I spent time with her in the garage daily. She would try and sneek back in but I did not let her. In about a month I decided she had been out long enough. I let her back in and there was not more peeing in the house.
My daughters cats contined to pee in the house. But she started seeing that what had worked with Sophie could work with her cats and started putting them out a day or so for every time that they peed on something.

Shortly after that Sophie and I moved into our new apartment. She has never had an accident in the house again. Just proved my theory she was just angry that my daughter brought other cats in.
Having a pet is a big commitment. This animal will be spending years of her life with you. So, before you go to a shelter, it is important to ask yourself several questions:

• Am I emotionally, financially, and personally ready to take the responsibility of having a new pet?
• Do I understand the nutritional, housing, and health requirements of this pet?
• Have I acquired the necessary items needed to take care of this pet, and have I 'pet-proofed' my house?
• Do I know what type of pet I want, e.g.; species, breed, or size, temperament, gender, age, energy level? Write down the characteristics you are looking for. We have heard many stories of people who went to a shelter with one type of pet in mind, and 'fell in love' with an entirely different type of animal, and adopted him. Sometimes this worked out fine; other times, the owner regretted the on-the-spur-of-the-moment decision. Be sure to think carefully about what type of pet you are looking for.
• Are all of the family members in agreement about getting a new pet?
• Have guidelines been set for the feeding, grooming, discipline and training, and cleaning up after the pet?

Be really honest with yourself because for your sake and the pets you do not want to take a pet you do not really want and have to return them to a shelter to be put down.

The point here being is do you have time to spend retraining or rehabilitaing a shelter cat. Now shelter cats come in all shapes and sizes. They often are pure breds. You can often get a pure breed cat from a breed specific shelter. They often have better background on their cats too. I was offered a bangel who had a lot of history of peeing on things. She also wanted to rip up furniture. But other than that she was a beauty. She was a pure bred Bengal and had a lot of energy. She was five years old so not a baby. I really thought about taking her. I knew I was home enough to rehab her. I had always wanted a Bengal. Her energy level did not bother me. I am a high energy person myself. I think the furniture destroying thing might have been a problem. But I could cope with the peeing thing. She met my qualifications that she was not a kitten. She was not really old either. I could handle a hospice cat but I would rather of had one that was going to be with me a few years.
You have to ask yourself a lot of questions about what you want in a cat. Do you want a lap cat? Do you want one that is low energy? Do you want a cat that is really clingon? Will it really upset you if the cat has behavior problems or do you see behavior problems just as something that can be overcome with love and persistance.

If a particular look or personality is what really matters to you, start your search by reviewing the different cat breeds and attending cat shows. From there you'll be able to determine what breed matches your expectations and look for a reputable breeder. The advantage of pedigreed kittens is that you have a good idea of the personality, size and look your kitten will have as an adult. Kittens from a breeder are often well-socialized and enjoy human companionship. You may find a breeder that raises show cats and will give you a kitten or even a grown cat that does not meet their expectations of show quality. They call these cats pet quality and lots of breeders are just looking for a good loving home for that kind of cat. Also look with Breed specific shelters. These cats may have problems but like the Bengal I was offered they have a lot to give as well as a few problems.

Benefits from adopting from shelters

Adopting pets from shelters can have many rewards. Many people say they are so happy that they could save the life of a wonderful animal by giving him a new and loving home. It is estimated that 4 to 6 million cats and dogs are euthanized in America's animal shelters every year. Shelters are filled with animals who were and could continue to be great pets, as well as animals who, with a little training, can become a cherished member of the family.

Animal shelters provide a wonderful mix of adoptable animals. Some are purebreds; others are virtually one of a kind. Animals are also of various ages. Many people prefer to have an older pet so there are no surprises about how big he will grow or the type of coat he may have.

Adopting an animal from a shelter is generally less expensive than acquiring an animal through a breeder or pet shop. Of course, you need to remember that the real financial cost of a pet over her lifetime is not her purchase price, but the food, grooming, health care, toys, etc. If you do not have the money to buy an expensive pet, you need to carefully look at your finances to be sure you can afford any pet, and still provide the care she needs. Ask yourself ahead of time about pet insurance. Can you cover say one or two cats? If a cat gets sick it is just like a person now days the vet cost lots of money to get that pet well.

While it varies with the shelter, you can usually get good information on the temperament and personality of the animal you are interested in. You may even have access to his health records, and a good description of his life in his former home.

Many shelters now neuter and spay all animals before they can be adopted as pets. Others may provide you with a certificate that will pay for a portion of the surgery. Most of the animals have also been wormed and vaccinated. Most animals will be house trained, and many dogs, for instance, have some basic training.

Myths about animals from shelters

Some people think that all animals in shelters were surrendered because of behavioral problems. This is not true. Many animals in shelters have impeccable behavior and habits. If the reason the animal was brought to the shelter was a behavior problem, it may have been more a problem with the previous owner's behavior than the animal's. Training takes time, patience, and consistency; if the owner is lacking any of these, the animal's behavior will suffer.

Other people believe that you cannot train an adult dog: 'you can't teach old dogs new tricks.' This, too, is untrue. Older animals can easily learn bad habits or good habits; it is up to the owner.

Other animals are brought to shelters because they are homeless or come from abusive situations.

It is my opinion that all animals are worth saving. To take a shelter animal is indeed saving a life. But if you can't take an animal how about supporting one. It is like the saying with foster children not everyone can take a foster child but everyone can help a foster child. You could give some time to a shelter. As part of my exercise routine I walk dogs for a shelter. I do this three times a week for two hours. I give money to take care of a foster animal and a foster child. This give that animal time to get a forever home. I run ads for the shelters on my Facebook page. I have been instrucmental in getting several animals homes. I write a lot of adopt a shelter animal articles. What can you do to help those 2.7 million animals who are being put down each year. Set a goal to help just one. It is like the story of a little boy who was going along the sea shore throwing starfish back into the ocean and a man came along and said you cannot save all those starfish and they little boy said but I can save this one as he threw another one into the ocean. 

Judi Singleton is the owner operator of Bejewelu.com