Cat Rescue Wish List
By opinion8d on Apr 22, 2009 in General | comments(0)
Recently I interviewed the director of a cat rescue for an article in a local publication, about how the economy is affecting local charities. (Recently, a national article ran on the same topic — how having less money to go around is impacting donations to non-profits.) They reported that their monetary donations have definitely gone down, but that conversely (or perversely, perhaps), the number of cats being abandoned is going up.
If you want to help out a local rescue but can’t take another animal or afford a substantial monetary donations, consider donating any of these, which are often on rescues’ wish lists:
- Your time. Rescues are almost always in need of volunteers. You may be asked to do necessary chores like feed animals and clean litter boxes, but most likely you’ll be walking dogs and playing with the cats using fun interactive cat toys.
- Second-hand items. If you have cat and dog dishes you no longer need, brushes and toys that are still in good used condition, and other items that you no longer need, consider donating them. Even leftover dry food when you switch brands would probably be much appreciated.
- Bulk cat toys and dog toys. If you have some money but not a whole lot, consider buying cat toys and dog toys in bulk to give to a shelter. They don’t have to be anything fancy or expensive — most likely plain ol’ ball cat toys will do. The critters will no doubt appreciate having something fun to do!
- Your home. If you can’t take on the permanent burden of another pet, but you have some room in your home for a little while at least, consider fostering an animal for a while. This enables the shelter to open up another spot and rescue another animal in need.
With the economy the way it is, money is tight for many people, but particularly for animal shelters and the owners who can no longer afford to care for their critters. Please do everything you can to prevent animal suffering during these tough times!