I’ve never once regretted having multiple cats. Sure, I fell in love with them, but as you know, they were the really the ones doing the adopting! Siouxsie has shared my home since she was a 6-week-old kitten; this year she celebrated her 17th birthday! Thomas and I found each other at a particularly difficult time in my life. Dahlia was the most clear-cut case of a cat adopting a person — and of course, when I met Bella it was love at first sight for both of us.

How could you not fall in love with the idea of multiple kitties when you see Thomas and Bella snuggling like this?

In order to help more kitties find fast furry feline friends, the Pets Add Life (PAL) campaign is hosting a contest that could lead to some big bucks for your favorite animal shelter or rescue. The Shelter Showdown is a chance for your favorite shelter to win a $15,000 donation — $10,000 for a community-wide adoption extravaganza to celebrate PAL’s National Get a Pal For Your Pet Day (Nov. 19, 2013) and a general donation of $5,000. The second and third place winners will each receive a donation of $5,000.

“This sounds awesome, JaneA,” you might be saying, “but how do I participate?”

It’s easy! First, you have to “like” PAL’s Facebook page. Then you vote through the Shelter Showdown app. You can search for a Petfinder-listed shelter of your choice and submit your vote by filling in the appropriate information. You can vote once every 24 hours, and voting is open through October 4.

Why do I think you should go through all this? Because I’ve volunteered at animal shelters and cat rescues, and I know how desperately cats in particular need homes. Cats are typically healthier and less stressed if they have feline companions: they can exercise their desire to play and hunt with a fellow kitty and are therefore less likely to behave in ways that stress you out.

PAL’s Shelter Showdown contest is a great way to help your local shelter fill homes with purry love. If you want to share the news about this contest, please use the hashtag #PetsAddLife.

Disclaimer: I am blogging on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network and the Pets Add Life (PAL) campaign. I received compensation for my time from PAL for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine.”