Pittsburgh Pet of the Week: Hurricane, a four-year-old Domestic Shorthair at Animal Friends in Pittsburgh, is seeking a calm, patient household after being surrendered by her previous family, shelter staff said. The 9.5-pound female arrived when her owners moved and could not take her along; she is now one of the organization’s longest-stay residents as she slowly adapts to shelter life.

Staff at Animal Friends, located at 562 Camp Horne Road, say Hurricane has been making gradual but meaningful progress since her intake. “She has been quietly blossoming ever since her arrival,” a representative said, noting that the cat has begun sitting at the feet of staff and volunteers and will politely ask for attention when she feels comfortable. Shelter caregivers report she enjoys treats and prefers to approach people on her own terms, frequently choosing cozy, quiet spaces in her suite.

Animal Friends is featuring Hurricane as available for adoption and has waived feline adoption donations from December 9 through 14, offering prospective adopters an opportunity to meet her without the usual fee. The organization handles Hurricane’s medical and adoption needs while she waits for a home; visits and adoption steps typically take about one hour to complete under the shelter’s standard process. Her listing appears on Petfinder and was recently included in a community feature in Pittsburgh Magazine.

Hurricane’s surrender reflects circumstances commonly reported by shelters. Common reasons pet owners give for surrendering animals include housing or moving issues, having too many pets, behavioral problems, financial constraints and an inability to care for the animal. A Best Friends Network analysis of roughly 1.1 million U.S. surrenders from 2018–2020 identified housing-related moves and similar challenges as leading causes of owner relinquishment.

Adopting a pet like Hurricane can have measurable effects beyond one household. Shelter officials point out that taking a cat into a permanent home helps ease overcrowding at local facilities, which faced significant intake pressures in recent years: an estimated 6.5 million dogs and cats entered U.S. shelters in 2023. Those admissions have strained capacity and contributed to euthanasia figures estimated at ~390,000 dogs and cats combined, underlining the role adopters play in creating room for new intakes and reducing shelter burden. How does adopting a pet from a shelter impact the local community?

National adoption trends also provide context for Hurricane’s prospects. Adoption rates for cats entering U.S. shelters hovered around 60-65% in recent years per ASPCA data. The ASPCA reported roughly 2.2 million cats adopted out of an estimated 3.2 million entering shelters in the same period, indicating steady movement but also ongoing need for homes.

Animal Friends staff say Hurricane would do best in a quiet environment where patience and routine can help her continue to build trust. The shelter is encouraging prospective adopters who can provide low-stress surroundings and time for social growth to consider meeting Hurricane during the donation-waived period or afterward by appointment. Those interested in learning more or arranging a visit should contact Animal Friends directly to confirm visitation times and begin the application process.

In the meantime, Hurricane remains in the care of Animal Friends’ team at their Camp Horne Road location, where volunteers and staff continue to work with her on socialization and comfort. Her small but steady signs of progress — choosing to sit near staff, accepting treats, and seeking attention when ready — are the markers the shelter cites as promising for an adopter willing to provide a calm, patient home.

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Original reporting: view the original article.