Bring a Furry Friend Home for the Holidays

New York (Vocus) December 14, 2006

The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is offering two unique gift-giving opportunities for pet lovers this holiday season.

The ASPCA is proudly participating in the 8th annual Iams® Home 4 the Holidays® adoption event and offers a free gift to every adopter during the month of December. Give yourself the ultimate gift and bring home a new furry friend today!

The ASPCA also offers Gift-a-Pet Certificates for those interested in getting a companion for a loved one. Gift-a-Pet certificates allow the gift-giver to pay the adoption fee of a cat or kitten for a loved one. The recipient of the certificate may then visit the ASPCA's Manhattan-based Adoption Center and, contingent upon application approval, select their very own cat or kitten to take home.

The fee for an adult cat is $75, $125 for one kitten or $150 for two kittens. Gift-A-Pet certificates are available for purchase at http://www.aspca.org or at one of the ASPCA's Mobile Adoption events.

The Gift-A-Pet Certificate easily answers some of the important questions regarding selecting a new furry family member, such as:

• Has your friend or loved one expressed interest in adopting a cat or kitten?
• Does this person or any members of the household have allergies to cats?
• Is this person aware of the responsibility and care associated with being the guardian of a cat or kitten?
• Would you feel comfortable if this person gave you such a significant gift?
• Is your friend ready to deal with the high-energy antics of a kitten? Would an older cat be more appropriate?
• Will he or she be bothered by having hair on everything from clothes to toast?
• Do you know if your friend's landlord allows pets? Will everyone in the household be as happy to receive a new cat or kitten?
• Are there other pets in the home? Will the current pets be pleased with a new addition?
• Are there children in the household? How old are they? Consider that a rambunctious kitten may not be a suitable pet for an infant or toddler.
• Is the cat or kitten a gift for a child? Getting a pet to teach a child responsibility is not a good idea, and may set the child up for failure. Caring for a pet's health and well-being are not within the scope of a child's abilities and must be handled by an adult.

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Western Hemisphere and today has one million supporters. The ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides national leadership in humane education, government affairs and public policy, shelter support, and animal poison control. The NYC headquarters houses a full-service animal hospital, animal behavior center, and adoption facility. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series Animal Precinct on Animal Planet. Visit http://www.aspca.org for more information.

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