Why We Chose Pet Adoption

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh Step® litter.

Are you feeling feline festive? This year, give the gift of love to a shelter cat or kitten that desperately needs it.

I’ll never forget the day that Jack entered our lives.

We were newlyweds and living several hours away from home in a very rural town. By rural, I mean RURAL. There were no shopping malls or movie theaters (the closest was 2 hours away). And, the few mom-and-pop businesses in the area closed up shop early in the evening.   There weren’t many places to go to socialize.

My husband was working a lot of evening and midnight shifts. There were many evenings when I was home by myself. I was bored and lonely.

One day, I decided enough was enough and I needed company. I had always grown up with pets. We had numerous dogs, cats, fish, hamsters, rabbits, even a duck.   Growing up, all of our cats and dogs were from shelters.

We always found the most lovable animals there. Our family had lots of love to give to a pet and these animals needed it. It was a win-win (and a no-brainer).

I hopped in the car and headed to the local animal shelter. I didn’t know what I would find there. I didn’t have any expectations. I thought I would take a look.

That’s where I met Jack. That little black puff ball stole my heart the minute I set eyes on him. With his head half cocked, he blinked his big yellow eyes at me and that was all it took.   Love at first sight.

So I went with “asking for forgiveness” rather than permission and brought him home. Just look at that face…impossible to resist.

Let me tell you, that little black puff ball had a ton of personality. My husband never had pets growing up so he didn’t know what to expect. But after a few minutes together, he succumbed to Jack’s charm.

It was nice to have someone in the house that I could talk to (even if it was a cat) and to occupy my time alone with. Plus, he was such a little devil that there was always something to clean up.

Now, Jack is 14-years-old. He’s not as spry as he used to be and he no longer tears around the house climbing everything in sight. But, you can still see that impish glint in his eye.

Who needs a guard dog when you have a cat that will stand at the door and protect his family (I kid you not!).

Jack is part of our family. I’m so glad I went to that shelter on that particular day and we found each other. I think if he could talk, Jack would tell you that he loves his forever home and his family. We can tell just by his purr.

As you can see, Jack has given me so much over the years – companionship, love, friendship. Cats provide us with unconditional love and joy, and Fresh Step® litter  is determined to return the favor through its Million Meow Mission program.

Just like in this video, which tells the story of a sweet kitten named Clint that was the very first cat in “Operation Kitten Drop,” a clever program to help connect kittens to foster homes and ultimately their fur-ever home. A shelter volunteer left Clint on “Auntie Rachel’s” desk. Watch this video see how this story ends!

Clint’s story is just one of many adorable adoption stories as part of the Million Meow Mission. Fresh Step’s Million Meow Mission strives to improve the lives of shelter cats and help more shelter cats find forever homes. Everyone can help shelter cats by joining Fresh Step’s Paw Points loyalty program. Members can:

• Enter their Paw Points Code to show support for shelter cats and receive a Million Meow Mission badge to share on social media
• Donate Paw Points to support shelters and receive a $2-off Fresh Step coupon and a Million Meow Mission badge to share on social media

Fresh Step litter has already donated millions of dollars to animal welfare and more than one million scoops of litter to shelters nationwide, and is always working to provide shelters with the resources they need to help their cats find forever homes.

Visit freshstep.com to join the Million Meow Mission and watch more shelter stories. Whether through caregiving, volunteering or donation, every act of kindness to a cat in need is a gift. If you have love that your family can share, then please consider adopting a kitten or cat from a shelter. It was the best decision our family has ever made.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh Step® litter.