June is National Adopt a Cat Month. If you’ve been thinking of getting a cat or know someone who wants to, this is a great month to consider adopting one. Learn more about National Adopt a Cat Month, including how you can get involved and why it’s so important.

Reasons for National Adopt a Cat Month

Animal shelters are filled with pets that are in need of good homes, and cats make up much of this population. In fact, American Humane estimates that millions of kittens are born this time of year. During the summer months, animal shelters typically end up with more kittens than usual. Pet owners with cats that give birth aren’t always able to find homes for all of the kittens, so they’re often given to shelters. June is one of the busiest months for animal shelters when all of these cats and kittens are brought in. Being able to find homes for them can be challenging, but National Adopt a Cat Month helps raise awareness of this problem.

How to Get Involved

There are many ways for you to get involved with National Adopt a Cat Month. You can be part of this important awareness campaign in the following ways:

• Adopt a cat or kitten: If you’ve been thinking of getting a cat for a pet, visit your local animal shelter or get in touch with a local rescue group. Avoid buying a cat from a pet store or purchasing one online. There are plenty of cats and kittens in animal shelters and rescue groups who need a good home.
• Encourage others to adopt: If you have friends, family, neighbors or co-workers who want to get a cat, encourage them to adopt one instead of buying one. Let them know about the pet overpopulation problem with cats and kittens in shelters, and remind them that these animals are waiting for someone to adopt them.
• Use social media to raise awareness: Make or share posts about National Adopt a Cat Month in order to raise awareness about it. Social media provides you with a way to reach a wider range of people, so that you can let them know how important this campaign is.
• Foster a cat, volunteer or donate: If possible, consider fostering a cat who needs a good home. This helps out local rescue groups who are trying to get these pest adopted. You can also volunteer to help out local animal shelters by caring for cats and kittens who are waiting to be adopted. Making a monetary donation or donating supplies also helps support animal shelters.