Happy National Cat Day!
Today is National Cat Day! This special day, founded by animal welfare advocate and lifestyle expert Colleen Paige in 2005, is the perfect way to take care of your cat and help other less fortunate kitties. Every cat we take care of is beloved by their families. Many of them have been adopted, which warms our hearts. National Cat Day is a reason to spoil your kitties even more than you normally do- a little extra catnip, A LOT more snuggling. But it’s also a day to help other, less fortunate kitties.
Miami-Dade has a problem with pet over-population, especially cats. It’s a challenge to find a home for the thousands of cats that walk the streets, but we can do our best. On National Cat Day, we urge our fellow animal lovers to help in three simple ways:
- Neuter/spay your cats (most of you have done this, thanks!)
- Make a commitment to only adopt, NOT shop, and adopt a new friend for your current kitties
- Donate to local cat rescues. Far too many cats are euthanized each year at Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS), so please pay it forward, share this blog, and help the kitties out!
Help Miami Cats: Make Sure you Spay, Neuter, or TNR
It goes without saying that spaying and neutering is the way to go. We believe especially so for cats, who can have 20 kittens a year if allowed to roam loose and wild. There is no excuse for not sterilizing your cat in Miami- there are many options for cheap sterilizations. We’re talking $15 co-pays for cats at MDAS, and many other options. Find a low-cost spay and neuter location for your cats right now!
TNR for Feral/Community Cats: The feral cat population is believed to be around 300,000 strong and growing in Miami-Dade County. Back in 2012, MDAS began its “trap-neuter-return” program, where residents in the community trap cats, bring them to MDAS, where they are sterilized, given rabies and feline booster shots, a notch on their ear to signal they’ve been through the process, and returned to the streets. This program is free for the public and diminishes deaths in the shelter and will hopefully cause the cat population to decrease. We wish every cat could find a home and live a humane life that way; also, feral cats kill countless wildlife, and unfortunately get sick or struck by cars and don’t have a loving human to help them. Let’s hope that with enough TNR, this problem will eventually end. Click the link on how to trap and release cats in Miami-Dade.
Adopt an Adult Cat in Miami:
Ageism is a sad fact in Miami and the United States. Kittens and puppies rule supreme, to the extent that too many people return adult animals to rescues once they have grown. Adult cats have a charm all their own and are loving, rewarding friends who are less demanding than their younger counterparts. Did you know adult cats:
- are often less destructive than kittens,
- have a more established personality which is easier to integrate with other kitties in your household,
- and can have simpler needs, all while being wonderful companions?
3. Donate, Foster, or Volunteer in Your Kitties’ Names!
Miami’s non-profit cat rescues have earned their places in heaven. They are tireless networkers for needy animals who should not be in the situations they find themselves in. In Miami, around 37,000 cats and dogs are surrendered to MDAS a year. MDAS tries, but there is simply not enough space for these abandoned creatuers. Around 45% of them will be put to sleep a year. The Pet’s Trust fell through, and MDAS is working toward a no-kill designation, so that means animal lovers need to come together to help.
Cash donations are tax-deductible to non-profits if you have the disposible income, please go for it! If you are more rich in time, the animals at MDAS could use a loving touch and they are always accepting volunteers. Finally, if you have space in you rhome, please consider fostering a cat. It makes room for other animals in teh shelter, gives them comfort of being in a home, socializes them… and you gain a companion and its eternal love.
How will you celebrate National Cat Day? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments below!
A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.
