One of the kindest things you can do in life is help an animal in need. Millions of animals enter shelters in the United States alone, and they need caring new owners and a forever home. One way to raise awareness about this issue is with the power of memes. And what’s a better combo on the internet than cats and memes?
The Odd Cat Sanctuary, a not-for-profit feline rescue organization, aims to do a lot of good in the world. The volunteers rescue and find forever homes for felines who are in desperate situations. We’ve compiled some of the funniest and most relatable cat memes they shared on their Instagram page and you’ll find them as you scroll down. They might just convince you that your home needs a(nother) cat!
Bored Panda reached out to the friendly team running The Odd Cat Sanctuary, and they were kind enough to tell us all about the project which helps and celebrates cats with disabilities. Read on for our full interview with them.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | Linktree | Donate | TheOddCatSanctuary.com
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Since 2015, the organization has saved around 5,000 cats, all thanks to an amazing team of volunteers who are busy working behind the scenes.
Though The Odd Cat Sanctuary has been posting memes for years, for this past year, volunteer Kristy has been responsible for most of the organization's content on social media.
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According to the ASPCA, around 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters in the United States every single year. Of those, roughly 3.2 million are cats. The number of animals in American shelters has declined over the years, down from 7.2 million in need in 2011. However, the issue is still massive and pressing. This is why it’s vital that organizations that rescue and rehome animals exist.
The ASPCA states that around 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized each year, of which 530,000 are cats. Back in 2011, 2.6 million animals were put down. One possible explanation for this drop in numbers is that more people are adopting pets. Another factor is that more stray animals are returned to their owners.
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Around 4.1 million animals are adopted every year, 2.1 million of which are cats. In the meantime, 810,000 animals that enter shelters are actually strays that are then returned to their owners. 100,000 of these are cats.
Bored Panda wanted to find out more about the history behind The Odd Cat Sanctuary. A representative of the not-for-profit organization was happy to tell us all about the good work that they do.
"The Odd Cat Sanctuary was founded in 2015 by Tara K. from the Boston area. There really weren’t any places for 'odd cats' (feral, diseased congenital abnormalities, sick, death row aggressive, and abused) to go," they told us.
"All local shelters wanted friendly 'normal-looking' cats to offer the public. The concept of highlighting special needs, aka odd, cats was born."
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One of the most famous animals that the organization saved is Memphis The 2 Nose Cat (@memphis2nosecat). "He is our mascot and helps us share this message of celebrating cats with disabilities," the representative said.
"We love more than anything showing the world that a cat that’s FIV+ or has Cerebellar Hypoplasia can live a normal happy fulfilled life and be just as content as a typical normal cat."
Bored Panda asked the team about the main things to keep in mind for anyone who wants to adopt a cat. "Being prepared for a 20-year commitment and having the time and love to give," they said are the key things here.
The representative noted that good cat owners understand that felines are unique creatures who "always do whatever they want." They added: " They basically own us!"
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Meanwhile, the TOCS team had some friendly suggestions for anyone hoping to help them. "Sharing our posts on social media is a free and easy way to help get our adoptable cats out there," they said. Anyone who wants to can also donate or send them supplies from their Amazon wishlist to help their cats. All of the relevant links can be found on the organization's Linktree page.
However, if someone lives elsewhere, they can always focus their altruistic endeavors on the rescues, human societies, and shelters in their local areas.
The organization fully believes that all cats deserve love, attention, and medical care. They first help felines find a temporary foster home and then a placement in a forever home. TOCS is entirely volunteer-driven and relies on donations, contributions, and fundraising.
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According to The Odd Cats Sanctuary website, the founder of the entire project has always loved animals and rescued them “on some level since she was 8 years old.” Tara earned her Associates Degree in veterinary medicine and has 12 years of experience as an emergency veterinary technician.
“Currently in outside sales, she devotes every spare moment to running The Odd Cat Sanctuary. Tara’s passion is for any animal, but particularly for cats. She has dedicated her life to rescuing any cat that needs her help. Along with her rescue partners, she lives and breathes saving cats day and night!”
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The Odd Cats Sanctuary has quite a large presence on social media. On Instagram alone, 278k people follow the organization for its posts about cats that need fostering, as well as the witty feline-related memes. Meanwhile, the project has a further 72k followers over on Facebook.
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Simply wanting everyone to help animals isn’t enough. You need to know how to reach out to people so that they become as invested in solving these issues as you are. That means staying up to date with how other organizations communicate with their audiences. One powerful tool in everyone’s arsenal is definitely social media. How someone uses it, however, can vary drastically.
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For instance, we can see that TOCS takes a mixed approach to social media. They sprinkle in a lot of humorous memes alongside their more serious, informative posts.
Comedy is a great way to relate to other people. Especially if they love cats or if they’re already a pet owner. Sometimes, it takes a single internet post to remind someone that, hey, there are very tangible ways that they can help animals in their local area.
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Adopting a cat isn’t as easy as going to your local shelter and picking out a ‘cute’ animal. Reputable shelters need to make sure that the new owners are going to take good care of their rescues. That often means filling out an application and possibly having your home checked, whether it’s suitable for the animal.
Some organizations also require prospective foster pawrents and owners to pay a fee for cats: this helps cover vet expenses and keep the lights on at the shelter.
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So, dear Pandas, which of these cat memes resonated with you the most? Which ones made you giggle so hard you just had to forward them to your friends? Have you ever rescued a cat or other animal? Scroll down to the comment section to share your thoughts. And if you want to gush all about how wonderful your cat is, we’re all ears!
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