---

NEW CAT, GETTING STARTED
How to Help Save a Shelter Cat

While dogs may be "man's best friend" it seems that cats are vying for the title as well. There are actually more cats owned in the United States than dogs (73 million versus 68 million), according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2001-2002 National Pet Owners Survey. In Canada, around half of the population has a pet. Thirty percent of Canadians own a dog, and 28 percent own at least one cat.

In spite of their popularity, certain sad truths reign in regard to cats. According to numbers compiled by the Brown County Humane Society, it seems that cat owners are more irresponsible with their pets than dog owners. More stray cats enter the shelter than dogs in the same period of time, but far fewer are returned to their owners.

According to the ASPCA, approximately 8 to 10 million companion animals enter shelters every year. Of these, more than half are euthanized. Seventy percent of cats in shelters are euthanized because not enough homes can be found to house these animals, or they simply become unfit for adoption, whether stress from cage life in shelters or due to feral tendencies learned fending for themselves outdoors. The number of cats that arrive at the shelter as strays and owner-relinquished is about even.

Cat adoption remains one of the best ways to prevent cats from living out a short life in an animal shelter. If you are considering getting a cat as a pet, investigate area shelters as your first place to look for your new companion. Many times, shelters provide cats and dogs at a very low cost, which basically covers the veterinary care these animals received.

To safeguard a cat whom you already have or have just adopted, follow this advice from animal shelter experts:

• Have your pet microchipped. This small device (about the size of a grain of rice) is implanted just under the skin. It is programmed with your contact information. Therefore, if your pet becomes lost and picked up by a shelter employee, the cat can be scanned by a special device to see if he or she has an owner.
  
  
• Don't let your pet wander outdoors without a leash. Perhaps fewer dogs end up in shelters because they spend much of their time outdoors on the end of a leash. Cats can benefit from leashes too, particularly if they enjoy roaming outdoors. Don't let a cat wander outdoors unattended - it's easy for them to find escape routes.
  
  
• Make sure your cat cannot exit the house via a window or open door.
  
  
• Have your cat spayed or neutered. Cats can have on average two litters each year, yielding four to six kittens each time. Help control overpopulation by preventing unwanted litters.

Source: Metro Creative

---