How to help the local shelter get cats adopted?

(I wasn't sure where to post this, hopefully this is okay?)

My local no kill cat shelter is PACKED. I visited yesterday and was shocked how many cats they have right now. They desperately need their numbers thinned out.

I can't adopt or foster any cats right now, but I want to help somehow. I've already got a Chewy order of cases and cases of food heading their way, and I plan to make a cash donation as well, but that just helps care for the cats they have now. It doesn't help them get adopted, which is what they need the most.

They have a facebook page, but whoever runs it mostly just posts calls for donations and adoption successes. So I was thinking maybe I could try and help by getting them better pictures and/or video of some of the cats that have been there the longest to post, so they can actually advertise the cats they have currently waiting to be adopted?

I don't know how well that would go over though. ^^;; I don't volunteer there (my work schedule doesn't match up well with their hours), I just stop in occasionally, but not often enough for any of them to know me. Its probably been close to a year since I was in last, as I just haven't had the time to visit. So they don't know me at all, but hopefully since it's to help the cats they'd be up for it?

I figure I can either just go in with good cameras and do it on my own, then send them what I come up with unsolicited, or ask permission first and bring in some cute Christmas-y props to make even better pictures.

Is there anything else I could do to help? I don't know of anyone that would adopt right now (except a new coworker that's already been in and is thinking of adopting one of the kittens that caught her eye), and I don't know what else to do to help. They really need to market their cats better, though.

Narelle said:

... or ask permission first and bring in some cute Christmas-y props to make even better pictures.

Click to expand...

I think that would be a great idea, especially if you encourage them to post the photos on their Facebook page and website. Good pictures can make all the difference. Are there any local newspapers that feature shelter pets? Our local one does it once a week for the area shelters at no cost. They generally limit it to one photo a week per shelter, but occasionally allow two.

Our local shelters have FB pages where they feature cats needing to be adopted.  Many times, they'll post later that the cat got adopted.  Featuring some of the adoptable cats is a great idea.  So good of you to help out.  

Maybe you could ask @GitaBooks  for some advice? She volunteers at a shelter and the cats there get adopted quite quickly. You can see some photos of them here.

 [thread="318660"]The Cats At Our Shelter​[/thread]  

Our local shelter features some of the dogs and cats they have for adoption in a weekly edition  they have in the newspaper along with the paper's items for sale and want to buy. Maybe you could talk to your local paper about donating some space for pictures and the animals stories. It seems the sadder the story the faster they get adopted.  I myself go to my shelter and pay for the adoption of the cat that has been there the longest. It helps them get adopted if there is no fee. Maybe you could post fliers around town, leaving them in restaurants, (with permission of course) with pictures and their stories.It might suggest paying for the adoption (or spaying and neutering) as a memorial to a pet that has passed on, or as a Christmas gift to an animal lover, or suggest opening a home and a heart to these babies in need. This is a good time of the year to get people to be generous. Bless you for caring for these desperate little ones, and I can guarantee you your local shelter would appreciate any help you can give, once a year, or even once in a lifetime, they need all the help they can get.