Make A Difference Day happens every year on the fourth Saturday in October. That’s October 23rd in 2021! If you’re a cat person, the holiday can be a great prompt to reach out to your local shelter and offer up your services to make a difference in the lives of cats waiting on their forever homes. Even if you don’t or can’t bring a cat home, you can still help adoptable kitties where you live! Here are five ways to step up and help cats in your local shelter.
What other ways can you help cats on Make A Difference Day? Do you help shelter animals find forever homes? Let us know in the comments below!
Ways To Help Cats In Your Local Shelter
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Donate Unwanted Cat Supplies
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We all know that cats can be exceptionally finicky creatures, often turning their noses up at new toys, furniture, and even food for no apparent reason.
Well, instead of dumping those unwanted feline supplies or leaving them cluttering up the back of a cupboard, contact your local shelter and see if they'd be interested in having you drop them off. Just remember to always call before, in case you turn up with arms full of litter boxes that they might not currently need or have space for.
Also, check out our guide to items you can donate to a shelter for some ideas!
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Offer Your Skills
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Helping a shelter doesn't just mean cleaning out litter boxes; it can involve you offering to use your areas of expertise.
For example, if you're a Facebook or Twitter wiz, ask if they need help updating feeds or conveying messages on social media.
If you're a slick photographer, inquire about setting up photo shoots with the adoptable animals. Better photos are proven to get cats adopted quicker, so your efforts will be appreciated and make a difference!
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Share On Social Media
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Speaking of using social media as a way to get kitties adopted, sign up to follow your local shelter's Instagram or Facebook account and start liking and sharing posts about specific cats looking for homes.
You'd be surprised at the success stories that involved someone's friend of a Facebook friend giving an animal a forever home.
Even if you can't adopt another cat and don't think your friends will be able to either, your likes, comments, and shares all help boost posts so more people see them!
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Ask For Donations As Presents
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If you're at a stage of your life where you pretty much already own any material possessions and consumer goods that you need, ask friends and family to make donations to a local shelter in your name instead of buying you presents for the holidays.
Birthdays also make for a good opportunity to ask friends and family to support a local shelter or cat-related cause that you care about.
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Play With The Shelter Kittens!
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Finally, you can always volunteer at the shelter and give the cats some much needed play time. After all, it's pretty easy for a hyperactive kitten to get bored being cooped up in a cage all day.
Hey, you might even end up going home with a new addition to your clowder!
Make sure you call ahead so you can arrive at a time when the shelter is ready for your help.
