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HOW MANY CATS ARE TOO MANY?
The answer to this question, of course, depends on
individual preferences and constraints. It may
surprise you to know, though, that fewer cats are not
necessarily easier. A single kitten can get into a lot
of trouble trying to entertain himself while you are away at
work all day. A pair of kittens can keep themselves busy
playing with each other instead of unrolling the paper
towels or chewing on the plants. It’s certainly not
much more work to feed and scoop litter for two cats than
for one. You may find it
surprising but often harmony can be restored by adding
another cat to the household. The new addition may
change the dynamics among the existing resident cats, adding
a distraction or calming influence to a tense relationship.
A cat that chases his feline sister may simply need a
like-minded companion willing to play. It never
ceases to amaze me how adding a new cat to the mix can so
often restore harmony to a feline family.
How many is enough?
Every day at 4Paws we get email, phone calls, personal
pleas, begging us to take a stray cat out of the cold,
shelter kittens whose time is up, or a long-time family pet
with no one to care for him when his owner is deployed
overseas. We take in as many cats as we have foster
homes to accommodate… unfortunately it’s never enough.
For every cat we rescue, there are dozens that we have to
turn away.
As a No-Kill shelter, 4Paws never
euthanizes a cat except out of medical necessity. We
continue caring for our cats until permanent, loving homes
are found for them. This policy while humane and
caring has its limitations. It means that we only have
room to take in a new cat when other is adopted. And
with limited foster space that unfortunately means many are
turned away.
Healthy adoptable cats are dying every
day in local shelters because these facilities are
overcrowded and need to make room for incoming cats.
It’s impossible to ever rescue enough. No one ever
wants to turn away a cat or kitten in need of help… it is
the hardest thing we have to do. Each day, we do what
we can, though, giving each cat that comes through our
adoption program the love and medical attention he needs.
During 2009
we rescued and found homes for more than 300 cats and
kittens. That brings total feline lives saved since
inception to almost 6,500. Sure, that’s a lot of well
deserving cats and kittens that didn’t die cold and hungry
in our back alleys; didn’t get hit by a car dashing to cross
the road in search of a morsel of food; and didn’t die
unnecessarily in an overcrowded animal shelter. But is
it enough?—of course not.
We can save more, though, with your
help. Our two most precious and scarce resources are
foster homes and financial assistance. If you have a
spare room, please consider fostering a homeless cat or
litter of kittens. But if you can’t foster a cat, then
please make a tax deductible donation today to 4Paws either
by mail, online, or through workplace giving. With
your help, we will be able to save even more feline lives in
2010.
Happy holidays and
please spay
or neuter your cat,
Barbara Lipson |