Hello, my name is Toes. I'm the cat in the headline picture, and I’m four and a half years old. I'm a beautiful tuxedo cat with short fur and a tiny meow compared to my big-boned body. Like many shelter cats, I came from a home where my owner loved me and took good care of me, and I thought that I would never leave her side. But one day, she died, and I didn’t understand what that meant for a little while. When I got to the shelter, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to live with my owner in her house anymore.

I’ve been in that shelter for over 200 days. I live at the Humane Society of Delaware County now, and you can visit me there. It’s a very nice shelter. I have food, water, a soft place to sleep, and lots of room to play. There are about thirty other cats that share four big open spaces with me. We get along fine most days, although I tend to be more solitary. In this shelter, there are different rooms for cats—I’ve lived in the shy cats room and the large room with the enclosed patio, but I know there’s a room for kittens, teenage cats, and condos for cats that are special needs or do better in solitude. Also, some of my friends have been fostered into temporary homes, or even living at a Pet Supplies Plus that is partnered with my shelter. There’s even a barn program that finds good outdoor homes for cats that have lived their whole lives outside.

Gaining my trust means I might even eat out of your hand!

The people at the shelter work very hard to make sure I’m happy and healthy. Our litter boxes and cat rooms are cleaned every day and we have lots of toys, cushions, nooks, and places to play or sleep. The caretakers and the vets sacrifice a lot so that we don’t have any problems when we come home to you. I remember being very sick twice, and they gave me medicine and looked after me until I felt better. Someone even came in and brushed me while I was in my isolation condo.

Although the people at the shelter care for my physical needs and give me treats and pet me, I know I don't want to stay here forever. We live in an adoption guarantee shelter AKA a no-kill shelter, which means we will have a place here until we are adopted. But all the time, cats come and go because they find wonderful homes with loving people. I wonder if there’s something wrong with me because I’ve been here so long. I’m not the only one, either. Some of my friends have been here even longer than me—even up to a year. I just want to be loved by my person. Please consider visiting me and my friends before choosing a pet store or breeder because we can be just as good to you.

Look! Although I'm usually reserved, I have a playful side too.

If you’re worried about our price, we’re almost always less expensive to adopt than a cat from a breeder. Cats from a breeder can cost more than a thousand dollars. Shelter cats, fully vaccinated and fixed free of charge, usually cost between twenty and a hundred dollars (this June, cats over 6 months of age are only $25 to adopt). And every year, thousands of cats like me in shelters (or even on the streets) never find homes, and many more are euthanized. I think we deserve to live happy, comfortable lives, don't you?

Here I am showing off my beautiful white patch like the proud tuxedo cat I am.

I know that some people don’t want to “risk” adopting a shelter cat. I don’t know why we’re considered “risks”. Most of us are here because of bad situations, not because we are unadoptable. I had to learn that it wasn't my fault when my owner died and I was brought here. We have a lot of love to give and big hearts that are open to receiving your affection. Most of the time, the kind people who work at the shelters we live at make sure we’re healthy and well-looked after. Some come in just to spend time with us so that we get used to people. They’ve even documented our personalities so that you can understand us more easily. These volunteers socialize us, brush us, take photographs of us, and help match us up with people looking for cats specifically like us. There’s a big book that tells you all about us—the way we show affection, the special needs we have, and our health information—so that you can find the cat that fits your situation best. This is far more than you’ll get from some breeders and pet stores because some cats come from kitten mills (like puppy mills, which you may have heard of), which are just breeding facilities that put profit over the health of the animals. Shelters aren’t like that. They want us to have great homes.

Don't I look handsome?

So I may have convinced you to adopt from a shelter. Well, at our shelter, kittens always go much faster than adult cats like me. However, there are good reasons to adopt adult cats. With us, what you see is what you get in size and personality. Most of our behaviors are already set in stone (and so is our litterbox training!). We can still make strong bonds with you, though. We're calmer and less likely to get into mischief or need training than kittens, and are often able to amuse ourselves while you are at school or work. But we can still be quite playful and loving! And like I said earlier, we have a lot of love to give, and just because we're in a shelter doesn't mean we're bad. We deserve a second chance for a happy ending with you and your family.

In fact, almost all of us thrive when adopted by a loving owner. Our coats will get glossier as we become less stressed, and our appearances might change for the better. We will become more affectionate towards you once we feel secure in your home. And you’re not just saving our lives, you’re saving the life of the next cat (or cats!) that comes into the shelter to fill the vacancy that we’ve left.

Here I am in my favorite box, relaxing. You’ll find me most often sitting in an enclosed space—it makes me feel safe.

There can be a happy ending for shelter pets, but only if you help us. We need you to give us a chance. We might be shy or afraid at first, but we will open our hearts to you in exchange for a warm lap, good food, and a home of our own.

Love,
Toes

Author’s note: Thank you to everyone who chooses to adopt a pet from a shelter instead of a pet store or breeder or supports shelters with time and donations. Your efforts keep cats and dogs off the streets and brings them to happy homes where all pets belong.

Thanks also to the Humane Society of Delaware County for their hard work helping animals find forever homes and for the information they provided to make this article possible. Consider adopting a pet from their clean, beautiful, and comfortable animal shelter located at 4920 State Route 37 East in Delaware, OH.