Black Cat Adoptions for Halloween and Samhain

I posted this notice about black cat adoptions to The Witches Voice last week and it is getting a good amount of traffic. I hope this means that some black cats in this area will get good homes. (1) Right now, most shelters and rescue groups are full, yet many other cats (and dogs) need help. The home foreclosure crisis has hurt pets, as well as humans. (2)

Give A Black Cat A Home for Samhain

Lots of black cats and kittens are looking for forever homes just now. Why not add one to your family at Samhain? Below is an announcement from the Cat Adoption Team. CAT runs a No Kill Cat Shelter in Sherwood, Oregon and it is a cheerful, friendly place. (Also check the website for an outreach center in your area) . The adoption fees are listed at the website. All cats come with a health check & shots. They also come spayed or neutered and with their own micrcochip. If you already have a black cat, they have lots of other colors, too! The shelter has up to 400 cats and kittens at any one time so you will have lots to choose from. Some cats are in large cages but most are in the many beautifully decorated rooms (like the Jungle Room or the Lavender Room) where the cats can play with each other, roam, relax, and greet visitors. Please allow time to make your choice, and set aside at least 30 - 40 minutes for the adoption process itself.

BLACK CAT ADOPT-A-THON at C.A.T.

Learn what good luck you’ll have when you adopt a ‘dark’ cat this Halloween. Visit the haunted CAT shelter for some Halloween fun: see CAT staff in costume, enjoy Halloween trick-or-treats, have fun with CAT’s Bobbing for an Pumpkin of an Adoption Discount game, and find the ‘dark’ cat of your dreams. You could get up to $20 off your regular adoption fee today. Spin the Ghost Wheel to receive a shopping discount at CAT’s in-shelter Boutique. No ghosts or goblins, but you are guaranteed to have a ghoul of a good time looking for your next furry feline friend. CAT is open from 11 am – 7 pm on Halloween. Date: October 31st Place: CAT’s Haunted Sherwood Shelter 14175 SW Galbreath Dr.

Event Location: Cat Adoption Team in Hillsboro

Event TIME Details: 11 am - 7 pm

Directions: Please see website for directions to the shelter and for the locations of 8 outreach adoption centers in the Portland Metro area and beyond.

Phone: (503) 925-8903

Website: http://catadoptionteam.org/

Mailing Address: 14175 SW Galbreath Dr, Sherwood, OR 97123

Sia

Related Links:

Petfinder.com helps you find adoptable pets and adoption groups in your area

Related Articles:

Those Lucky Black Cats

Halloween and the Black Cat: Superstitution and Urban Legend

You Call It Hallowe'en...We Call It Samhain

Endnotes:

(1) This is unusual. A lot of shelters won't adopt out black cats for fear of weirdos in some cases and , frankly, a bit of uninformed "Satanic Panic" in others. Sadly, they aren't wrong to worry. Shelter workers really do see more of cats harmed this time of year but not, of course, by Pagans most of whom can best be described as "Cat Slaves". It's best to err on the side of caution. Please remember to keep your cats (especially the black ones) safe and indoors this season, and never, ever "give" a cat away for free. If an adopter can't pay a reasonable amount for the cat, they probably a) can't afford to feed and care for it and b) might want it for the wrong reasons.

(2) The Zwillow Blog offers this advice:

What can you do to help? This abandoned foreclosure pets article offers some things you can do if you suspect a pet might be in danger in a foreclosed home:

• If you know that a home in your neighborhood is being foreclosed upon, why not ask the occupants if they have made plans for their pets?
• Some home owners might willingly turn over their pets to an animal welfare agency that specializes in rescuing stray and abandoned pets, if they knew where to take their pets.
• Leave animal rescue literature with the owners; it’s better to offend and apologize than to do nothing.
• After the owners have moved, check on the home to see if any pets were left behind or tied up in the back yard.
• Call your local humane society to find out how you can help to rescue abandoned pets.
• Call a local real estate agent and ask the neighborhood specialist to inspect the home for abandoned pets. Most will gladly oblige at no obligation.
• In some states, animal cruelty is against the law. If you suspect animal cruelty, call the police.

According to a recent USA Today article, the number of pets being released to animal shelters is also increasing by alarming rates in places where foreclosures are high. These pets are the “luckier” ones – at least they have a chance of being adopted. Some shelters are even creating special programs to help foreclosure victims and their pets. The Pennsylvania SPCA, for instance, offers their “good-home guarantee” program, which promises the shelter will keep the pet as long as it takes to find a new home, free of charge for foreclosure victims.