Do you have a soft spot for animals? If you do, then today is a holiday you'll like: National Kitten Day. This sweet holiday is a reminder to show love to your kittens (or your kittens at heart), but also to bring attention to all the kittens in need of homes. It brings the reminder to adopt, not shop, and to encourage spaying/neutering pets in order to keep the population down.
I learned recently that the cat population in particular is on the rise in New Hampshire. Many shelters offer free or low-cost spay/neuter clinics to combat this issue, such as the Mother Spay Program at the Pope Memorial Humane Society in Dover. Their website explains, "If your female dog or cat is expecting or just had babies, we can help through our Mother Spay Program. Once the litter is weaned, we will spay the mother at no cost to you and find homes for all the little ones if you admit them to our Adoption Program. Mom will stay with you, her spay surgery taken care of!" This is a win/win situation: you get to keep your precious kitty, you don't have to pay for the surgery, and you don't need to go through the headache of trying to find a good home for the kittens!
If by chance, you're thinking about adopting a kitten of your own, consider adopting from a local shelter instead of buying from a breeder! And yes, you can get actually kittens at these shelters, not just adult cats (although they need love too!)
I've compiled a list of just a few local shelters to check out:
- Pope Memorial Humane Society in Dover, NH
- New Hampshire SPCA in Stratham, NH
- Lakes Region Humane Society in Ossipee, NH
- FuRRR Feline Rescue in Gonic, NH
- Another Chance Animal Rescue in Sanford, ME
- Spicy Cats Rescue in Exeter, NH
- Safe Haven Humane Society in Wells, ME
- Animal Refuge League of NH in Bedford, NH
This isn't an exhaustive list, which goes to show what a need there is for adopters! Not all of us can adopt, though -- I have a dog and rent, so I know I can't. Maybe you or a family member are allergic, or you travel too much. That's okay! Adopting isn't the only way to help all the precious kitties out there.
There are many other ways to support the organizations working hard to save all these lives.
Fostering. Maybe you can't commit to owning a pet, or perhaps you can't afford it. Guess what? Fostering may be for you! Fostering is usually at no cost to you, meaning all pet expenses, including food and vet bills, are provided by the shelter.
Foster pet parents are needed more than ever right now. Shelters want to help as many animals as they can, but their brick and mortar locations are only so big. They rely on the willingness of fosters to open their homes to animals in need. There's also a need for fostering pregnant mothers and then to care for the litter, for example, or for feral cats that need to be socialized.
Donating supplies or funds. As non-profits, shelters rely on the generosity of their donors. Many shelters have a wish list on their website, and pages for donations. Sometimes they offer special incentives and gifts in return, but the reward of knowing you've helped these fur balls is more than enough, in my opinion!
Keep in mind, though, that it's best to double check what the shelter accepts before making a donation. For example, they don't take expired food, pillows, worn or dirty toys and beds, or broken crates, just to name a few. And to dispose of these items brings on more cost. As a reference, you can check out the NHSPCA's list of Donation Do's and Don'ts.
On another note, if you're an investor, there may be added tax benefits of making charitable gifts.
Volunteering. Again, shelters rely on the willingness of their supporters. Volunteers make up the majority of workers in a shelter. You don't have to be retired or unemployed to help -- although this is a great way for retirees to find fulfillment and joy. Just as every penny counts, every hour of help counts! Usually a shelter will have a reasonable availability requirement. LRHS, for example, asks that volunteers commit to at least three hours a week, for a minimum of three months.
Thinking about volunteering at a shelter may bring to mind cleaning kennels and stinky litter boxes, and although that may be part of it, there are may different ways to volunteer. The LRHS website has many volunteer roles available, from social media managing to dog training to gardening off-site fundraising events.
Attending fundraising events. Speaking of fundraising events, that's next on our list! I'm constantly seeing posts on Facebook for fun fundraising events hosted by local shelters. For example, FuRRR Feline Rescue will be hosting an auction in October, and Pope Memorial Humane Society has regular paint nites and kids' movie showings, among other things. You can usually find event listing on the shelters' websites or social media accounts. Having fun and helping animals? Yes please!
Interacting with their posts on social media. You can support local shelters without spending a penny! All it takes is a few moments of your time. Following the social media accounts, liking and commenting on their posts, and sharing the post with others all make a huge difference. After all, each time you interact with the post, the algorithm will show it to others who otherwise wouldn't have seen it. Plus, when you share a post with all of your followers, maybe a friend of yours will be introduced to their new fur baby!
Showing gratitude. Here's yet another important way to help that doesn't take much from you. Volunteering is hard work, and fighting to save all of these animals can be overwhelming and frustrating. A word of appreciation and encouragement may be all someone needs to keep going in a moment of discouragement. You can find opportunities to show gratitude on social media as a comment under a post, in person at the shelter, or even via email.
So on this special day of kitty appreciation, is there anything you want to do to help? If you have a cat, remember to give them lots of snuggles and special treats! But don't forget about all the homeless kittens out there that need love, too.