Cat Who Spent over 8 years in Shelter wins $10K Donation

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Imagine being given up for adoption as a baby, and every time a family comes to pick a child, you hope you are finally going home only for you to remain while your friends get adopted. Eventually, it will get to a point where you become comfortable and acknowledge that you might never get a family that wants you. It happens to children, but you might be surprised that even pets experience such rejection. Luckily, there is always light at the end of a tunnel; a cat who spent over eight years in a shelter and won $10K donation can testify to this. Let’s tell you more about this feline called Grace and why prospective pet parents overlook animals in shelters.

Standoffish Attitude Leaves Cat Homeless

When the Colonial Capital Humane Society (CCHS) took Grace in, she was only a kitten, and they thought the adorable kitten would be adopted soon. Unfortunately, days turned into months, months into years and before long, they realized that Grace might be in their care forever unless they took matters in their hands. It is not that Grace is not loveable; she is the volunteers’ favorite, but her standoffish behavior makes her less likable. According to the Newbern Sun Journal, Grace is among Rhonda’s favorite cats despite being grouchy -Rhonda is a CCHS board member and volunteer. The feline has no apologies to make for not allowing anyone she does not like to pet her, but that is only her attitude towards humans. She is very caring towards new pets and acts as the mother cat, helping the timid ones get comfortable.

Winning Contest Might Turn Things Around for Grace

After acknowledging the pickiness, the shelter decided to enter Grace in “Purrfectly Imperfect” national contest held by Arm and Hammer Cat Litter. They hoped that the popularity would increase the chances of her finding forever home and it might have because Grace made it to the final round. She was announced among the three winners and earned the shelter $10K donation. The three winners also won their respective shelters counseling services from a certified cat behavior consultant, Pam Johnson-Bennett, who will help the cats during their transition into their forever homes. It is unknown if Grace has been adopted, but even if she remains in the shelter for a while longer, she and her fellow winners have helped show how much shelters need our help. The contest attracted 2,000 adoptable cats, some of whom have fought hard to be alive and all they need is someone to love. The need for supporting shelters became evident even to Arms and Hammer Cat Litter who pledged to donate $50,000 extra every year to shelters, through Feline Generous. Feline Generous is an online platform that highlights local shelters to increase chances of adoption and donations.

Why Some Cats are Overlooked in Shelters

Cat lovers can be choosy about the cat they want to take home, and according to Pet Guide, here are a few reasons some cats don’t get adopted.

• Age – We say that age is nothing but a number, but that is when you are referring to a loved one, and you can overlook the specialized care they require. The same case applies to pets; the older they get the rare their chances of being adopted. We have seen even pet owners drop off their old pets in shelters citing that they no longer can care for them. With age comes to a few issues, mainly health, and not everyone can afford the medication or other special care the animal needs. Besides, if a home has children, pet parents would prefer a younger, active pet to play with the kids.
• Illness – On Catster, there is the story of how one person decided to visit the animal shelter and adopt the least adoptable cat. She thought she would be given an old cat, but what she found was the least adoptable cat was a feline rejected even by other felines because of his illness. The poor cat was half-blind and epileptic, so he would soil himself every time he had seizures. It made the other cats also cast him out, so he had to live with the dogs. Still, she took him home and although the cat did not make it because his condition deteriorated despite the medication, at least he died knowing someone loved him. Most people are not ready to care for sick animals, especially when they have to dig deep into their pockets to pay for drugs.
• Disability – Caring for a disabled pet requires patience and some deep pockets. For instance, one that cannot walk could use regular therapy which may not come cheap. Besides the financial part, other people fear that they do not have time to help disabled pets feed, groom or even stay with them often. Most disabled cats have to be kept indoors all the time to protect them from dangers lurking outside, so when adopting one, ensure that you have someone to care for them when you are not at home.
• Color – Color has been a sensitive matter even among humans; we have witnessed apartheid in South Africa, and the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. Ironically, the same people who advocate for nonracial discrimination will go to shelters and overlook a cat because he is black. In animal shelters, black cats are the least likely to get adopted, and Psychology explains the main reasons for the color discrimination is because people are superstitious. Some think that black cats are unfriendly and aggressive while other prospective cat owners say black cats do not look good in selfies. Due to this discrimination, some animal rights activists advocate that those who own black cats neuter them.