On an average day, 228 cats are euthanized in shelters each hour, according to the American Humane Association. And according to the math whizzes on my Facebook fan page, that works out to four cats dying each minute. I know this isn't the most upbeat way to begin a column, but it's true, and these horrifying numbers need to change.
The American Humane Association initiated June as Adopt-A-Cat Month back in the early 1970s because that's the peak month that many shelters are overflowing with cats. Still, it's really a year-round problem.
"The reality is that for adoption of shelter dogs and lessening those canine numbers in shelters, we've come a long ways since the 1970s," says Bob Rohde, a past president of the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators and president and CEO of the Denver Dumb Friends League. "We owe cats big time — we need to do better."
**Get the September 2010 issue of CAT FANCY to read the full article.**