There’s good news in the air for shelter cats hoping to find a loving home.

A recent survey reveals that people looking for their next animal friend are five times more likely to go to a shelter or rescue than they are to shop at pet stores or purchase from a breeder.

The Hartz Pet Trend Report, released April 27, 2011, polled 1,028 U.S. cat and dog owners about their pet and other animal-related topics. The results reveal that 60 percent of the respondents would prefer to adopt from a shelter or rescue, while 10 percent said they would go to a registered breeder, 4 percent said they’d shop at a pet store, and another 4 percent said it wouldn’t matter.

Hartz commissioned the survey because they wanted to gain a better understanding of what pet owners think about animal issues and how they view their relationships with their four-legged friends.

When asked what makes a good pet, two-thirds of the owners said personality is the most important characteristic. Other important qualities were loyalty (20 percent), obedience (11 percent), and “something else” (2 percent). A mere 1 percent of owners listed purity of breed as an important factor.

Almost half of the poll respondents said their dog or cat is like a child to them, and 42 percent reported that they think of their dog or cat as a good friend.

So if you’re looking for that purrrfectcat friend with just the right purrsonality, the odds are good that the first place you’ll look for him or her is at your local shelter.

[Source: CatChannel]