ASPCA(R) and Fresh Step(R)Promote Fee-Waived Cat Adoptions

Fee-Waived Adoptions Can be a Winning Solution For Shelters, Adopters and Cats Alike

The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(R) ("ASPCA") and the makers of Fresh Step(R) litter ("Fresh Step") aren't asking animal shelters to give away the farm. Just the cats.

ASPCA research recently published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that waiving fees for adult cats boost adoptions without diminishing the value adopters place on their cats. Plus, surprisingly, fee-waived adoptions may actually decrease shelter costs by reducing the average length of stay for adult cats, and could also increase donations and store product sales due to an increase in adopters.

In order to help save more cats this June, the ASPCA and Fresh Step are encouraging shelters nationwide to conduct fee-waived adoptions for adult cats. To date, the ASPCA/Fresh Step Fee-Waived Cat Adoption Campaign has enlisted more than 100 shelters across the country to host fee-waived cat adoption drives throughout June, which is national Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month. In addition, the makers of Fresh Step Litter will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to the ASPCA for every "Like" received on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/freshstep through July 31, 2011. The money will help support this program and other cat care initiatives.

"On average, it costs shelters $13/day to care for a cat," said Emily Weiss, a researcher for the ASPCA. "Often times, adoption fees don't even offset those costs. By offering fee-waived adoptions for adult cats, shelters can often increase the cost for kittens and direct new cat parents to their gift or retail shop where they can purchase essential supplies for their new family member. Shelters benefit from that revenue, and new cat owners have extra money to spend on their cat. And, ultimately, the cat has a loving home. It's a win-win for all."

Purrfect Way to Help
Those who want to help can visit and adopt a fabulous feline from a shelter participating in the fee-waived cat adoptions. For a list of participating shelters, visit the Fresh Step Facebook page. The makers of Fresh Step litter are committed to helping cats and, since 2001, have donated more than $2.5 million to the ASPCA.

About Fresh Step(R) Litter
Fresh Step(R) Litter is a product of The Clorox Pet Products Company, a subsidiary of The Clorox Company, headquartered in Oakland, Calif. The Clorox Company is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with 8,300 employees and fiscal year 2010 revenues of $5.53 billion. For more information about Fresh Step(R) litter, visit www.freshstep.com. Follow Fresh Step on Facebook at www.facebook.com/freshstep or on twitter at @freshsteplitter.

About the ASPCA(R)
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA(R) (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(R)) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation's leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org. To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/aspca.

Media Contacts:

David Kargas, Clorox, 510.271.7492,  David.kargas@clorox.com

Apryl Ehmann, PDC PR,  740.707.5478, apryl@pdcpr.net