What’s up with the kittens?!

Ok, I get it. Kittens are cute. But PEOPLE, will you just stop for a moment and THINK: all kittens will end up being full-grown cats. STOP USING EXCUSES!

“But they are so playful and energetic!”

“But they are so cute!”

“But they are easier to train!”

Many times, when I meet someone interested in getting a pet, they tell me they don’t want to adopt because shelters rarely have kittens. I usually deny this because cats can have many babies in one year.
Besides, all cats grow rather quickly.

Adult or young adult cats are already trained and most shelters spay and neuter plus offer standard blood test and shots (it’s all part of the fee).

Here are the statistics taken from the Humane Society of the United States website:

Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year:
6-8 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year:
3-4 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year:
3-4 million (HSUS estimate)

Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from shelters each year:
Between 600,000 and 750,000—30 percent of dogs and 2-5 percent of cats entering shelters (HSUS estimate)

Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3

Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4-6

To add to the aggravation, I keep learning about people giving away cats because they didn’t spay/neuter their own or because an alley cat left a litter. I just wish society would be more pro-active. With so many babies, who is going to take care of the ones in the shelter? It’s already bad as it is- euthanasia, anyone?

You can give me every excuse in the book as to why you only want newborn cats. I GET IT. Regardless, my answer will always be: young, adult, or old, all cats make good companions, BUT SAVING FROM A SHELTER IS MUCH MORE REWARDING (especially the ones who are less likely to find a forever home)

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