Sixteen rescue groups around the country are participating in special "High 5 for $5 Felines" adoption events over the Thanksgiving Weekend in the hopes of helping hundreds (or hopefully more) cats find their forever homes. Best Friends Animal Society is supporting the adoption event. All 16 rescue groups are members of Best Friends Network Charities, a program that supports local animal rescue groups with the tools they need to save more lives.
Using the general theme of “Open your home to a rescued cat for your heart’s sake,” the rescue groups will showcase cats and kittens - age five months and older- in adoption events sometime between Friday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 28. Each feline will be spayed or neutered and vaccinated prior to the event, and the fee to adopt is only $5 per kitty.
“Best Friends Network Charities program is proud to support these groups (see list below of groups and locations) participating in this national multi-city adoption event. Best Friends’ goal is to help the groups increase the number of cats adopted,” said Lavanya Raju, coordinator for Best Friends Network Charities.
Raju explained that the idea of emphasizing that cats can improve people’s health was inspired by a University of Minnesota study that showed the relative risk of death from heart attack was 40 percent lower for those who live with a cat. The most logical explanation for this, the study revealed, is that having a cat may relieve stress and anxiety, and subsequently reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
“Five dollars for a spayed/neutered feline best friend is an unbelievable deal for anyone looking to add a cat to their family and it may be the best $5 you have ever spent on preventive heart health care,” Raju said.
“Local rescue groups and shelters provide a valuable public service to both the animals and the communities they serve,” Raju said. “Too many cats are dying in shelters across the country; only 10 to 20 percent of pet cats are adopted from shelters and local rescue groups. These groups are going out of their way to get these cats into loving homes where the kitties can not only give your heart a ‘warm fuzzy’ but actually help you and your family stay healthier.
“Every cat who gets adopted actually means that two cats are saved because the first cat is adopted and opens up space at the shelter or rescue for another homeless cat in need. We hope the public will come out and support their efforts. And bringing a rescued cat into your home not only saves that cat’s life, it may save yours as well,” Raju said.
“Even if you can’t adopt, please volunteer, donate or just send a note thanking rescue groups for what they are doing. You can make a difference for homeless cats and for these rescuers who are working so hard to save them,” Raju said.
The “High 5 for $5 Felines” adoption events are part of Best Friends Animal Society’s goal of No More Homeless Pets, which aims to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters.
Participating Network Charities in “High 5 for $5 Felines include:
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services
Newberry, Florida
Helping Hands Pet Rescue, Inc.
Iowa City, Iowa
Greenfield, Indiana
Partners for Animal Welfare Society, Inc. (P.A.W.S.)
Muncie, Indiana
Leoti, Kansas
Silent Angels Advocate, Rescue & Shelter
Jersey City, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair Township Animal Shelter
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Middletown & Elmsford, New York
New York City, New York
Raleigh, North Carolina
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Indiana, Pennsylvania
Gonzales, Texas
Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter, Inc.
St. George, Utah
Comments
I don't think this is a good idea at all. $5 for a life is too cheap and will lead to 'impulse buys' of cats and kittens that may not be rehomed permanently. Those same cats and kittensould easily end up back in Animal Controls as their has been little outlay and, possibly little thought given to acquire them.
The majority of people get their cats from friends or family or from “free to good home” situations. They are not all bad homes. Instead for those folks who are used to getting ‘free’ cats, Best Friend’s wants to encourage them to look at adoption as an alternative. By bringing new people to adoption events, you then have opportunity to educate folks about the benefits of adoption, spay/neuter and the plight of animals currently in shelters. Ultimately, we’re converting more cat homes into ‘adoptive’ homes.
Everyone looks for great deals, whether they have lots of money or not. It doesn’t mean they can’t afford the product at full price – they just relish the idea of getting a deal. Don’t we all?? Best Friend’s encourages all rescue groups to include the cost of caring of a cat for their lifetime in their literature so that potential adopters are aware of what they are signing up for.
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