Yoga + cat adoption. Let’s talk.

Any pet owner who has tried to practice yoga at home can tell you that getting in some good stretches isn’t exactly easy when you have a cat vying for your attention. But in Latham, IL, one yoga studio decided to include cats in one of their classes. And no, it’s not to pose an extra challenge to their students’ concentration. Yoga at Connie’s is working with the Decatur Homeward Bound Pet Shelter to help find homes for cats in need.

Cats may rule the Internet, but when it comes to finding them homes, shelters often struggle to place fully-grown felines. Families all over the country adopt kittens only to find they aren’t prepared to take care of an adult cat and end up taking them to shelters, meanwhile few people who visit shelters are looking for a middle-aged or older pet. As a result, shelters are often filled with older cats and unable to take in all the cats who come to their door.

That’s why businesses like cat cafés and cat yoga classes are so important. As Yoga at Connie’s volunteer Jeanette Skaluba, who helped organize the first cat yoga event with the nearby shelter, told The Dodo, “By taking the cats to something like a yoga class, people have the opportunity to see and interact with them outside the shelter. It gives these cats exposure and shows their personality. I think people can envision these pets in their home easier because they’re outside the shelter.”

The first event at Yoga at Connie’s included six adoptable cats, and one of them was adopted after the class. In addition, $500 were raised for the shelter. As the photos below show, the cats were getting into the flow too and looking totally adorable while doing it. Furthermore, all the participants (cat and human, alike) had a great time, and more cat yoga classes are already in the works! Seems like an absolutely wonderful way to get to know cats who are up for adoption.

To learn more about shelters in your area, visit The Humane Society’s website. And if you are one of the lucky few participating in these cat yoga classes, let us know!

(Images via)