Become a Cat Guardian During Adopt-A-Cat Month

MILL VALLEY, Calif. - In Defense of Animals, a national animal
protection organization, released comments today urging all who are considering making a feline friend part of their family to adopt rather than purchase a cat, becoming a cat "guardian" rather than "owner" during June 2003, Adopt-A-Cat Month.

Each year thousands of abused, neglected, and abandoned cats find themselves in dire need of a warm, caring home. Each time a kitten is purchased in a shop, a chance is lost to save a cat in need of rescue from a life of suffering or even death. To adopt rather than buy a feline friend turns a likely lifetime of tragedy into a lifetime of love and triumph.

Furthermore, making the choice to see oneself as an adopted cat's
"guardian" rather than "owner" reminds each of us of the profound
responsibility of taking on a new animal family member, and emphasizes that we should always adopt rather than purchase an animal companion.

As IDA President Dr. Elliot M. Katz explains, "IDA's Guardian Campaign is redefining the current concept of animals as property, objects and things. We no longer refer to ourselves or others as "owners" of the animals we share our lives with but rather as "guardians" of our animal friends. Guardians do not buy or sell animals; instead they rescue and adopt. Every time an animal is bought instead of rescued or adopted, a potential home for a homeless animal waiting in a shelter is lost, resulting in millions of needless deaths of shelter animals each year.

This June, we urge you to become a Cat Guardian by adopting a feline friend in need, in honor of Adopt-A-Cat Month."

To find a cat who needs a home in your area, visit
http://www.petfinder.com.


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In Defense of Animals, located in Mill Valley, CA, is a national, animal protection organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by protecting their rights and welfare.