As an animal welfare organization that prides itself on increasing our lifesaving capabilities, we recently launched our Working Cat Program. We are redefining what is considered a "home" for cats in our community. The state of Florida has been tracking shelter intake and outcome data for years, and we know from that data that the majority of cats that end up in animal shelters are coming from outdoor-only situations. They were either outdoor-only cats, or they came from a feral cat colony. Adoption opportunities are limited for a cat that has spent its entire life outdoors and has not been socialized. We've learned that there are other ways to give these types of cats a chance. Rather than try to force cats to live in an environment that is stressful to them, we are giving them a chance to be productive in an outdoor setting while still being cared for. This is a crucial step to increase the save rate for outdoor cats that end up in shelters across the country. For some cats, a good home is a safe outdoor property where they have a caregiver who provides for their daily food and water but doesn't expect them to be their best friends in a traditional home environment. This past week we had our first successful Working Cat adoptions! Bridget and Max were both long-termers at the shelter who had handling sensitivities that would've severely limited their adoption options. They were given the chance to have a home where they are cared for while giving them the freedom they have always been accustomed to. We are proud to offer this progressive adoption program for cats in our community! If you would like to learn more about our working cat program, please visit our Working Cat adoption page.