I remember sitting in the back of the car, half asleep, going to drop off recycling with my mom. As she was recycling, there was a “meow” heard from deep within the recyclables.

My mom stopped what she was doing, curious as to who could be making such a loud noise. I remember desperately wanting to get out of the car but I had to stay put. The noisy “meow” started to become incessant, like a car alarm.

It was coming from a very tiny kitten. He would come out, then run back under the stacks of cardboard boxes, all the while meowing his heart out. One of the workers there told my mom how no one was able to catch him as he was able to squeeze through the smallest of places, where no one could get to him.

Undeterred, she went to the back of the car and brought out snickerdoodle cookies she just bought from the store, and managed to lure him out before grabbing him.

From then on out, I had a friend for life. In a way, we both grew up together. He came to trust humans so much that my family made the joke that if there was ever a burglar he would welcome them with open arms, and show them around the house.

For me, it was the start of who I wanted to become later in my life: a crazy cat lady, who would be willing to adopt homeless strays. With this came the belief of how important it is to adopt and not shop. Animals need a forever home.

It is not an unknown truth that the world is currently experiencing an overflow of animals in adoption centers. Many times, these animals are being euthanized, which is a sad reality. No animal deserves such an ending as that.

Now I know there are benefits of buying from a breeder: such as knowing the background history of your animal, what to expect when it comes to health issues and understanding how your pet will behave.

But, we cannot ignore the issues that come with breeding: adopting a mixed breed often offers a healthier animal than a single breed with genetic issues and single breeds have increased health problems and genetic defects; especially when they are inbred for the purpose of getting the most “desirable” traits out of an animal.

Another problem that I need to strongly address is when a person in an unstable situation and tries adopting or buying pets. Do not, I repeat, do not get a fluffy friend if you are in a situation like that. This is one of many contributing reasons as to why so many animals end up in shelters. It is an unfortunate ordeal and is not a benefit for either side. Think before you decide to introduce a new member to the family.

So, when it comes to taking in homeless strays, I am not suggesting that if you see a random animal outside, whether it be a cat or a dog, to immediately take it back home. Most of the time, these animals actually have a home. But what I do recommend, when looking to bring home a new fluffy friend, is to go to your local shelter or a reliable nonprofit organization.