If you've spent any time on this site, you know that we love and try to donate to cat rescues as often as possible. I think it's fair to say that if you're here, you are probably also a big supporter of these marvelous groups. That said, though, we know that financial donations aren't always an option, and even donating time can be taxing to an already overburdened schedule. So today, we are going to be looking into some ways you can help a rescue or shelter totally free and without a major time investment.
Click to Donate Websites
You've probably seen them around – those “Click to Donate” websites that help out a number of worthy causes. But did you know that there are just a ton that directly assist our needy kitty buddies? These sites typically work by sharing their ad revenue with carefully selected shelters. If you spend just a couple of minutes each day clicking away at the donate buttons, you could potentially save or improve the lives of shelter animals around the world.
The Animal Rescue Site
The Animal Rescue site is probably one of the best known click to donate organizations around. This site helps to feed shelter animals, both through their click to donate programs, and through their web-shop. One of the neatest things about this particular website is that it is part of a much larger charity network known as GreaterGood. So in addition to feeding shelter pets, they also allow you to donate to a number of other worthy causes, like Alzheimer's research, literacy programs, and wildlife conservation.
Free Kibble
Though less well-known, this website is also a great free way to donate to cat rescues. Unlike the Animal Rescue Site, Free Kibble isn't just one simple click. Instead, you are asked an easy piece of trivia for each donation option. There is only one question per day per option; however, a donation will be made whether you answer correctly or not. This website doesn't offer a lot of choices; however, you can donate food to shelter cats, as well as litter. If you like, you can also answer a trivia question to provide some well-needed kibble to rescue dogs. All around, pretty great for 30 seconds-worth of your day!
Clic Animaux
Clic Animaux is a French website that operates a good deal like the other two, only their focus seems to be more on aiding injured rescue animals. On this site, you have the option to donate to animals, generally, as well as cats, dogs, farm animals, and horses respectively – or, of course, click them all. In addition to click to donate, it appears that you can also directly donate funds to their organization. To donate your extra seconds, simply click the great big “Le Clic du Jour Pour les...” buttons.
Big Cat Rescue
Big kitties need rescuing, too, and that's where the Big Cat Rescue comes in. This organization helps rescue, protect, and sometimes even heal our house cat's giant relatives from a variety of desperate situations. There are plenty of ways to give to this amazing sanctuary; however, for those short on funds and time, the click to donate option is really useful. Simply click on that massive bone each day, and you will be helping feed these enormous, majestic fur balls!
Give By Doing What You Already Do
All of those click to donate websites are marvelous and only take a few minutes of your time each day. But what if you could weave donations into your everyday routines? Constantly Tweeting pictures of your cat? Then you could be donating. Can't live without your daily jog? You could be donating then, too. There are plenty of ways to give to your favorite rescue organizations without interrupting your daily activities, and in this section, we'll touch on a few really good options.
#GIVEACRAP on Social Media to Donate Litter
As we mentioned above, if you cannot stop showing the world how adorable your fuzzy little buddy is, then you could absolutely be helping out a worthy rescue at the same time. This program is simple – post a picture of your favorite kitty to your social media accounts and slip the hashtag #giveacrap somewhere in the text portion. Then Bam! You've just donated a pound of litter. Pretty great, right?
Create for Kitties
Avid crafter? Then you might want to think about donating your handiwork to shelters. Although this website in and of itself isn't a dedicated donation spot, it does provide an extensive list of places where you can submit your work. This, of course, does require your time and a bit of an investment. However, if you're a hardcore knitter or a serious sewer, then you likely already have everything you need on hand – or at least some scrap material that's just sitting there languishing away. You might even have some finished pieces ready to go! Either way, this is a great way to donate by doing something you do on a regular basis.
Run for Rescues
There's a pretty good chance that you've already heard of Charity Miles, but if you haven't, the concept is pretty simple. You set up your profile and connect with the charity of your choice. When you go for a walk, run, jog, or bike ride, simply switch it on and let it track your miles. For each mile spent, money will be donated to your chosen charity. There are a ton of worthy organizations, but if you're looking to help out the kitties, you could pay special attention to the ASPCA and the World Wildlife Fund – though, they update regularly, so you might find something else that catches your interest at any time.
Satiate Your Thirst for Knowledge... and Shoes
Google alone racks up about 3.5 billion searches per day, and chances are, you account for a reasonable share of those searches. While the standard search engines are pretty great, there are quite a few who, in addition to provide you with some useful results, also donate real money to a number of organizations – including cat shelters and animal aid groups. These engines are typically powered by their traditional counterparts – for instance, Goodsearch works with Yahoo, while Savoo uses Bing. In many cases, you will be required to set up an account, and then pick your preferred charity. In others, as with YouCare you may need to download a browser extension. Another neat thing about many of these search engines is that they are often connected to shopping portals that also donate. So no matter what you're looking for – be it a piece of information or brand new jeans – you will be able to spread the wealth.
Conclusion
If we could, we'd give thousands of dollars and all the hours of the day to our favorite cat rescues and shelters, but sometimes even a little bit of either can be hard to accomplish. If you have a few seconds, though, you can still offer a helping hand just by picking out a few of these great options.
