It's Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week!

Did you know that black cats have a much lower likelihood of being adopted from shelters? It's true! Those beautiful "house panthers" are often overlooked by people who think they're evil or bad luck. The same holds true for cats who are seniors, amputees, diabetic, FIV+, blind, deaf, or with other disabilities.

My first cat was a black cat. He was a delightful and loving boy who died of kidney failure at age 11. Now I live with a geriatric tortie, age 23, whose gentleness and wisdom also bring me much joy. We had another cat who died from FIP, but his love and exuberance for life gave us so much pleasure in the five years or so he lived with us. Is there extra time and care required with these special cats? Of course, but when you make the commitment to an animal, you do it. Those cats have all been my family, and I'm a better person for having shared my life with them.

Older cats are actually very nice companions. They're less rambunctious than kittens or younger cats, wiser and more dignified. They have their little quirks, but don't we all! And while checking a diabetic cat's blood sugar and dispensing insulin shots can be a chore, it's actually easier than trying to give any cat a pill.

Cats with disabilities can usually live their lives just as normally as unimpaired cats. Those missing a leg can climb and run just like normal. There was even a story on Alan Thicke's "Animal Miracles" show of a cat who drove a burglar out of the house while her owners slept...and she was completely blind! So there's no reason for these "less-adoptable" cats to be euthanized by the thousands just because someone has to make a judgement call on which cats are more likely to find homes. And yet, they are.

So Petfinder.com has dubbed this week, September 17-25, as Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week. (Yes, that's actually nine days, but there are a lot of "less adoptable" animals in shelters.) They want to draw people's attention to all the overlooked, the less-than-perfect, the mistakenly maligned in our shelters, and ask you to take another look at them. Look beyond the flaws, and see the soul inside. That's where you'll find the real beauty in any animal.

For more information on Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable Pet Week, go to Petfinder's web page on it. You'll find promos there you can share on your websites and blogs. And make a trip to your local shelter to see who's waiting for you there.

This Week's Cat Champions: St Francis Animal Rescue Center!

Our Cat Champions of the Week for August 9-15 are the folks at St. Francis Animal Rescue Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Chrissie, pictured here, is one of the almost 150 cats housed there.

St. Francis is a no-kill, cage-free shelter that rescues unwanted, abandoned and homeless cats in the York County and South Mecklenburg County areas, caring for the cats until they can find loving homes. Their innovative cage-free approach results in happy, well-adjusted cats who do not suffer like those confined to small cages for extended periods of time. Cats are social, sensitive creatures who like to explore, interact and bond with other cats. Visitors to St. Francis Animal Rescue Center always comment on how well their cats get along. Chrissie is one of their more shy residents, but most are very friendly.

This weekend, July 13-15, St. Francis will be holding their big Adoptapalooza event, where they'll be trying to find homes for at least 50 of their cats! The event will feature door prizes, entertainment and refreshment as visitors get to know the beautiful cats and kittens they have available for adoption. The center also holds an annual Blessing of the Animals to honor the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

As do most shelters, St. Francis has the constant challenge of funding. They suffered an act of vandalism in July in which their front plate-glass window was broken in the night and a number of their cats escaped. Most were recovered safely, but are still frightened from the experience. And the window replacement bill was a whopping $700! They also struggle to pay their rent each month or face eviction. They accept donations through PayPal, and have sponsorships available for cats in their care. You can also help them by buying your cat supplies and accessories this week at OldMaidCatLady.com, so they'll receive 10% of the proceeds! C'mon...do it for little Chrissie and her friends!

Cat Butlers

This story in the Florida Times-Union about "cat butlers" at the Jacksonville Humane Society was heart-warming, but it also made me wonder about the cats who find themselves at the city's Animal Care & Control instead. That's not a no-kill shelter, and the cats have a much grimmer potential fate there. Do they have anyone who loves and socializes them to improve their chances of adoption? If I had the time and lived closer to the shelter, I'd love to start a similar program there. Anybody in the Riverside, San Marco or Downtown areas of town so inclined?