Find Your Perfect Cat Match
What do Vivien Leigh, Eva Longoria and Hillary Clinton all have in common? They’re all cat ladies, of course… And while being labelled a cat lady may seem far from flattering, actually being a Cat Lady can be good for your body and mind. Owning a cat is known to be a stress-reliever and apparently reduces your chances of having a heart attack and developing certain allergies. Who knew?! But before you rush out to bag yourself a lucky black cat, playful kitten or wise old moggy, you might want to take this new online quiz set to help would-be owners decide what sort of feline would be their purrfect pet (sorry!).
National charity Cats Protection has developed a light-hearted game to take potential pet owners through a series of questions to work out what type of cat would best suit their lifestyle. And with around 5,000 cats in its care at any one time, the charity is hoping the fun multiple-answer activity will inspire more people to adopt a cat this spring.
Danielle Draper, Manager of Cats Protection’s flagship National Cat Adoption Centre in Sussex, told Belle About Town that the charity had launched the quiz ahead of its busy “Kitten Season” – the period between April and September when most kittens are born, making it even harder to find homes for adult cats.
Charity figures show that on average older cats – those aged over 11 – take five times longer to be adopted than kittens, rising to six-and-a-half times longer during kitten season. Which means that while young cats may only stay in the charity’s care for up to 10 days, OAP cats may be left on the shelf for nearly 60 days.
Danielle said: “Spring marks the start of our busiest time of the year, when our branches and centres become inundated with litters of kittens. With so many kittens available, it means it’s harder than ever for our older cats to catch the eye of a potential owner.
“We developed this quiz to help people think through the options and realise that there are lots of types of cats available. While kittens may be suitable for some people, there are many more which may fit in better. From cheeky young adult cats to wise and laidback old moggies, there’s a lot to be said for cats which have outgrown kittenhood. What’s more, because their characters have fully developed you can really see how an adult cat will fit into your home and how it will interact with family members.”
While the quiz provides a few minutes of fun – and is a great office boredom buster! – it is intended to be a light-hearted look at the possibilities available and to raise awareness of the amount of abandoned cats in the UK.
- To take the quiz, visit www.cats.org.uk/what-sort-of-cat-should-you-adopt. And to see cats in need of homes in your area, see www.cats.org.uk/find-a-cat
