June is the Perfect Time to Adopt a Cat

According to the Internet, every day is a great day to celebrate cats and their antics. (Really, can you ever have too many cat memes or videos!) In fact, all those cute cats on the Internet may make you want to bring home your very own furry feline. To drive this home, The American Humane Society has named June Adopt-A-Cat Month, dedicated to celebrating all that makes cats amazing as well as encouraging people to consider adopting their own kitty from a local shelter.

So let’s say you decide to adopt a cat and bring it to its new forever home – are you prepared? As with bringing home any new animal, there are several things you should do and plan around to make it a smooth transition for you and your new furry best friend. To help with this, The American Humane Society has created a list of recommended To-Do’s for bringing home your new cat.

Make sure you have buy-in from everyone in your home:Don’t just go out and get a cat without discussing it with your family first. This should be a given, but you’d be surprised how many spur-of-the-moment adoptions happen simply because someone couldn’t resist the cuteness.
Look at their personality:No matter how cute the cat is, if its personality doesn’t mesh well with yours, it will be challenging for both of you. Take the time to learn about the personalities of different breeds and observe behaviors when you are at the shelter. If you’re a chill kind of person and there’s a cat that is bouncing all over the place, that combo may not be the best. According to The American Humane Society, one rule of thumb is that cats with round heads and long hair tend to be more easygoing than those with short hair and leaner looks.
Select a veterinarian ahead of time:If you know you’re going to get a new cat by a certain date, go ahead and seek out a veterinarian ahead of time and schedule your initial visit. Be sure to take any medical records you may have received from the shelter with you too.
Buy your supplies before you get the cat:When you bring home your new pet, it’s best to already have everything ready to go – especially the litter box. Having the basic accoutrements will help your cat feel a bit calmer because it won’t have to stress about where to use the bathroom or where its next meal is coming from. It will also help it to establish basic routines from the get-go.
Cat-proof your home:As you know, cats are curious creatures and love to jump up on surfaces and explore. Make certain all food is put away, loose items are stored appropriately and cords are hidden as best as you can (cats love to chew on them).

These are just a few of the recommendations from The American Humane Society. Their list goes into detail about introducing the cat to family and friends, including it in your family emergency plan, and even suggesting that if you’re going to get one cat, you may want to consider getting two!

Once you have your new putty tat (as Tweety Bird would say), don’t forget to give it a good squeeze on June 4, which is National Hug Your Cat Day. (As if we needed a special day for that!)