Press Releases

Friday, June 24, 2011
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:  Angela Speed
 (414) 431-6104  aspeed@wihumane.org

Purple, Orange and Green Cats Available at
Wisconsin Humane Society
Shelter Launches Meet Your Match® Feline-ality Cat Adoption Program

MILWAUKEE - Cats have individual personalities, just like dogs, and the Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is highlighting those personalities - ranging from "Party Animals" to "Private Investigators" - with its new Meet Your Match Feline-ality Adoption Program, a program of the ASPCA. Just a handful of shelters nationwide use the program and WHS is one of the first in Wisconsin to implement Feline-ality.

To celebrate the promotion this weekend, all Saturday and Sunday adopters of adult cats will go home with 2 FREE Summerfest tickets, courtesy of Briggs and Stratton Corporation.

"The goal for every adoption is to find a loving home for our cats," says Anne Reed, executive director of the Wisconsin Humane Society. "The Feline-ality program helps us do that even better. It helps our counselors match the expectations and lifestyles of the adopters with the behaviors and feline-alities of the cats."

Feline-ality uses detailed research-based surveys and behavior assessments to make the best matches possible. The cat assessment reliably predicts how an individual cat is likely to behave in his new home. An adopter's survey identifies the characteristics of the adopter's preferences and lifestyle that correlate with specific feline-alities. Adopters can then look for the cats with the specific feline-alities they feel would be a good fit for their household and identify them by colors and sub-categories.

For example, a cat with a green color-coded description would be a "Party Animal", "MVP" or "Leader of the Band." Green cats are savvy, unflappable and adventurous. A cat with an orange classification makes a great companion kitty, and would be called a "Sidekick," "Executive" or "Personal Assistant." A cat with a purple classification is one who seeks affection, is quiet and stays out of trouble. She could be called a "Secret Admirer," "Love Bug" or "Private Investigator."

"The key to developing successful adoptions lies in making good matches between adopters and pets, thus creating lasting bonds," said Dr. Emily Weiss, the ASPCA's senior director of agency behavior programs, and developer of the Meet Your Match programs. "Feline-ality is a tool that does precisely this; and everyone-adopters, agency staff, and most of all, the cats-benefits from the program."

Adopters complete a simple survey to help the staff understand what they're looking for in a cat. You can print a survey available on the WHS website to bring to the shelter with you, or pick up a survey the next time you visit the shelter. Available animals are updated every 30 minutes at www.wihumane.org.

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Media Opportunity: Call Angela Speed at 414- 431-6104 to schedule an interview and meet some of our new Feline-alities, all available for adoption.

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