Animal shelters usually have cats or kittens destined for euthansia, unless it operates as a no-kill shelter.

By adopting a cat or kitten from an animal shelter, you may be saving their life. Cats or kittens found in animal shelters can be dear loving pets. You may not know their background or pedigree, but you'll have the opportunity to establish a long and loving relationship with your new cat or kitten.

Here's a cute clip of an adorable Humane Society adoptee from Calgary:

Oftentimes, there is an adoption fee. This fee may or may not include a neuter or spay fee. If this fee is not included, you may have to provide proof that you had your new pet spayed or neutered by a specific date.

Shots may or may not be included in your adoption fee, so you might have to see that your new pets has all the necessary shots within a specified amount of time follwoing the adoption.

In almost all cases, your newly adopted pet will require a visit to your local veterinarian for a checkup. Your shelter may provide a certificate for one free checkup.

Shelters do their best to provide a healthy pet for adoption, and a home for all their pets. But, many times, the logistics are against them.

Too many people are negligent about spaying or neutering their pets; resulting in more cats and dogs being born every year than there are loving homes for them.

Your local animal shelter can help you with the adoption procedure and any necessary paperwork.

If you aren't too fussy about knwoing the exact pedigree of your next pet (although, ironically, many pets found in shelters are in fact purebreds without papers), but instead want a loving companion, make sure you visit your local animal shelter.

Save a life!

To find an animal shelter nearest you, check out these websites:

• Petfinder
• Pets 911
• World Animal
• Adopt A Pet
• Humane Society - regional office (they can narrow down your search to give you specifics in your local area)