Adoption is Patriotic! We Want YOU!!!

I think this picture sums up the way most of us feel when the Kitten Season is upon us. If anything, it keeps us laughing and in generally good spirits, despite what seems to be an onslaught of  fuzzy cuteness. Don't forget, no matter how adorable kittens are, 100 + that need to be fed, medically treated and cleaned up after will take their toll on the people that care for them each and everyday.

This is what we signed up for the minute we all stepped into the SF/SPCA and decided that this was where we wanted to devote our lives. However, a little known syndrome called "Compassion Fatigue" can claim many victims this time of year. We are all so very tired, yet...we don't stop. We can't stop. Animal sheltering leaves very little room for arbitrary decision making and it doesn't stop just because you went home for the day. You live, breathe and dream cats 24/7.

Adoptions are what allow shelters to save lives. Without loving homes, cats, kittens, dogs and puppies languish in some shelters and in the very worst of scenarios, are euthanized as a result of the behavior and medical changes that evolve. Our commitment to finding homes for the hard cases sometimes far exceeds our own comfort level.  We depend on the Bay Area Community to alleviate the traffic much like a bottle neck on a major highway.

The total population of cats in our shelter is reaching a crisis level. Our current total number ranges from 243 to 260 cats depending on whats offered from SF Animal Control and the unfortunate circumstances of our fragile economy, often resulting in cats being returned into a system that is already operating at full capacity. As you can imagine, we keep close tabs on our cat population because not only do we want to keep them healthy and happy but we also need to maintain a work force that is physically able to care for them without spreading themselves too thin. This my friends.... is the hardest equation we have to solve each day. How much is too much? 

With that being said, consider this a plea for help. We need our communities help more than ever before. If you have room in your heart and home for a cat or kitten, please come to the SF/SPCA and help our cause. Tell a friend. Tell an enemy. We need you this summer and perhaps the most patriotic move one can make is adopting a Domestic Mixed American cat. Yes, this includes exotic breeds too!

We've dropped our fees and extended our low adoption rates through the summer. The choices are limitless and the love will last a lifetime. What's your excuse?



Daniel Quagliozzi
Feline Care Coordinator