By Mikayla van Loon
As February turns to March, Lilydale residents are being encouraged to consider pet adoption with the whole month dedicated to the national initiative.
The National Pet Adoption Month is a campaign run by The Petspiration Foundation, the charity arm of PETStock.
Already helping adopt kittens and cats to loving homes on a regular basis, the Lilydale store will be hosting an adoption drive weekend on 18 and 19 March to find homes for up to 40 cats.
Partnering with animal rescue organistion Forever Friends, PETStock Lilydale team leader Cam Farrell said it is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with the animals.
“If people are thinking about adopting, I would definitely encourage them to come down, see them and interact with them,” he said.
“I so prefer people getting them through adoption than through breeders because there are already so many cats and dogs in the adoption cycle.”
This March initiative is hoping to see people ‘adopt different’ and to really consider adopting cats, large dogs, adolescent dogs and bonded pairs that can’t be separated.
“All pets deserve a safe and loving home, and National Pet Adoption Month is the perfect
opportunity to meet pets searching for a new family,” Petspiration Foundation’s Charity and Events Lead Sherralea Cassidy said.
Over the last year, national animal welfare organisation PetRescue has listed 56,077 pets for adoption. Currently it is estimated that 7400 animals are looking to be housed.
While there can be many reasons for animals to be put up for adoption, recent natural disasters, the increase in living costs, inflation and access to housing has impacted pet ownership, leading to the surrender of pets.
Although encouragement to adopt is really being driven throughout March, Cam said there are always cats available for adoption at the store, with two currently looking for homes.
“We’ve had these two kittens for about two weeks. We had three but one’s been adopted out. So usually we go through them within two to three weeks. If they’re eight weeks to 10 weeks old, they go much quicker,” he said.
With a serious applicants only expression of interest form, Cam said “we make sure they go to the best homes and we vet all the candidates”.
“If we want to adopt them out, then we will invite [the families] in a couple of days later for a meet and greet to see if they connect with them.
“So it is a bit of a lengthy process just to make sure they’re vetted correctly and they’re going to the best times possible.”
Animal Behaviourist Dr Kate Mornement said many rescue pets have been trained in some way previously, whether it be toilet training or basic manners, making it much easier to take them on.
“There are so many options when it comes to adoption. Cats are wonderfully intelligent
animals, fantastic for any size home, and can be easily trained, just like dogs, using positive
reinforcement,” Kate said.
Being responsible for the cleanliness and health of the cats and kittens housed in store, Cam said, is a task that’s all the more worth it when staff get to play, handle and interact with them.
“We all really enjoy it…it’s really, really fun having the cats and just connecting with them and interacting and playing.”
