Best Friends Animal Society and Litter-Robot Join Forces to Bust Common Cat Myths with “Truth or Tales” Initiative
From leash walking to playing fetch, cats are often capable of much more than people suspect. That’s why this June, Best Friends Animal Society and ongoing partner Whisker, the makers of Litter-Robot, are teaming up to dispel common cat misconceptions while helping more felines find loving homes through a nationwide initiative called “Truth or Tales.”
“Last year, the number of cats killed in U.S. shelters reached the lowest point in history,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “We’re thrilled to partner with Litter-Robot this month to keep this positive momentum going by debunking cat myths and helping more cats find the loving families they deserve.”
Throughout June, Best Friends and Litter-Robot are inviting animal lovers everywhere to help separate truth from tales by sharing photos or videos of cats defying myths. For every post using the hashtag #FelineFolkloreChallenge, Litter-Robot will donate $1 to Best Friends Animal Society up to $10,000 to support cats in shelters.
For those who think they know cats, it’s time to think again. Below are just a few common misconceptions that Best Friends and Litter-Robot will be debunking throughout June:
Tale: Cats are independent and don’t need attention
Truth: Many cats form deep bonds with their humans and can experience separation anxiety. Some cats are highly social and even crave human interaction!
Tale: You can't train a cat
Truth: Cats can learn tricks, play fetch, and even walk on a leash with positive reinforcement.
Tale: Cats don’t recognize their names
Truth: Studies show that cats do recognize their names...although they may choose to ignore them!
The most important myth to debunk is that getting every shelter in the country to no-kill* is unattainable. “If just 6% more people planning to bring home a new pet chose to adopt from a shelter rather than purchase from a breeder or pet store, we could make the country no-kill,” continued Castle.
As part of this month-long initiative, Litter-Robot is also sponsoring cat and kitten adoption fees at all Best Friends locations nationwide, including Houston, Los Angeles, Northwest Arkansas, New York City, Salt Lake City, and the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.
“Our ongoing partnership with Best Friends Animal Society is rooted in a shared commitment to improving the lives of cats everywhere,” said Jacob Zuppke, President and CEO of Whisker. “By covering adoption fees at Best Friends locations nationwide this month, we hope to make it even easier for people to welcome a cat into their lives—and to support the incredible work Best Friends is doing to bring the country closer to no-kill.”
To learn more about how to bring home a new companion from a Best Friends location or local shelter or rescue, please visit bestfriends.org.
*A 90 percent save rate is the nationally recognized benchmark to be considered “no-kill,” factoring that approximately 10 percent of pets who enter shelters have medical or behavioral circumstances that warrant humane euthanasia rather than killing for lack of space.