Hey, folks. It’s me again, CAT Stanley. I have something very serious to talk to you about today. This is a topic that is very near and dear to my own heart because I was once one of these pets.
Maybe you’ve guessed by now that we’re talking about those pets that are referred to as “less-adoptable.” There was a time, when I was just a youngster, that I had some pretty serious injuries. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed or wouldn’t heal if given a chance. Still, those injuries could very well have turned off a prospective adopter. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. I was a very fortunate cat. My human fixed my injuries and gave me a pawsome forever home.
This week, September 17-23, has been deemed Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week at PetFinder.com.
There are lots of reasons that a pet might be deemed “less adoptable.” For cats, being injured, like I was, is one reason. But there are many others. Being older, being FIV-positive, being a black cat, being blind or deaf. These are just a few of the reasons.
According to PetFinder:
“99% of our shelters and rescue groups currently have adoptable pets that have been at the shelters a long time and are having a harder time getting adopted.
In fact, according to our survey, these “less-adoptable” pets wait for a home nearly four times longer than the average adoptable pet does … sometimes more than two years!”
In a survey conducted by PetFinder, 24% of “less-adoptable” pets were found to be senior pets. 16% were pets that had special behavioral needs. 13% were fearful or shy pets. 12% were pets with special medical needs and another 12% were pets that needed to be only pets.
Many of these pets, like myself, will still make a wonderful companion for the right person. For instance, there’s Grant, who was removed from a hoarding situation and treated for diarrhea and ear polyps. He’s now healthy and needs a forever home, though he does have some ongoing ear issues.
Grant is just one example. There are many, many more. Could one of these cats be your next best friend?
Even if you’re not in a situation to adopt a pet right now, you can still help by passing the word to others. Tell your friends and family about the joys of owning a “less-adoptable” pet. Help a cat in your community find a new home.
