About two months ago I decided to get a cat. I've had a ton of cats — almost all of them I found when they were kittens. This time, I decided to go a different route; I wanted to save a cat. This time, I wasn’t concerned with the age or how cute the kitten was, I just wanted a cat that was going to love me as much as I loved them. I decided to go into my local humane society to find my new addition. I love animals, and the thought of an animal being euthanized just because it doesn’t have a home makes me sick.
I stepped into the humane society to find at least 100 cats. They were all split up into different rooms. Every time I walked into a room, I could see how much these cats longed for attention and love. Finally, I went into a room full of black cats — there’s nothing special about black cats though right? Right, but there was a small black cat named Bella that started purring and nudging as close to me as she could get as soon as I picked her up. I knew right then which cat I was going home with. Bella has proved to be one of the most loving, loyal cats I have ever had. She fit in perfectly and is thriving in her new forever home.
Humane societies and animal rescue shelters can be some of the saddest places to visit. You walk in and see all of those little eyes on you full of hope that you will choose them — personally, I would take all of them home if I could. When you leave the shelter knowing how many little hearts you’ve just broken, it makes you want to adopt every single one of them. This isn’t reality, unfortunately, but what is reality is the fact that most people look for pure-bred or baby animals to become a part of their family, instead of the animals that are at these shelters. If you are making the decision to add to your family, please consider these sweet souls in the shelters. They didn’t choose this life, and it doesn’t mean that they are any less worthy of love than the pure-bred animal you have been hoping to bring home. Adopting is also much easier in the financial aspect — pure-bread dogs can cost anywhere from $300 to $2,000 whereas adopting can cost as little as $50 to $60.
If you cannot adopt an animal, please consider donating to these shelters and humane societies, as they regularly struggle to take care of the abundance of stray animals they receive. According to the ASPCA, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized every year. Help save a life, and consider adopting an animal that needs a home. Love is something anyone can give, and these animals are some of the most deserving of your affection. Knowing that you have saved an animal from death row is one of the greatest feelings, and I can almost guarantee you’ll find your new best friend in the mean time.