ASPCA Cat Friday Adoption Event View Full Caption

UPPER EAST SIDE — It's the purr-fect Black Friday bargain.

The New York City branch of the ASPCA is helping needy kitties find a home at its third annual Cat Friday adoption event on the busiest shopping day of the year.

In keeping with the bargain-hunting spirit of Black Friday, the ASPCA will waive the $125 fee for all cat adoptions and reduce the fee to $50 for all kitten adoptions. New pet owners will also receive free scratchers and collars, along with certificates for free visits to the veterinarian.

The event launched two years ago, when the ASPCA realized that Black Friday sales were still drawing huge crowds in spite of the economic downturn.

“Everyone seemed to be looking for that next thing or appliance to make them happy,” said Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA Adoption Center. “We thought that if people came home with pets instead, they could provide a much longer-lasting happiness than the latest gadget.”

Cat Friday has become the NYC ASPCA’s most successful cat adoption event, with between 30 and 40 cats finding homes each year.

The event is well-timed because people have time off around the holidays, giving them a chance to bond with their new pets and help them adapt to their new homes, Buchwald said.

About 100 cats and kittens are available for adoption this year. All of them have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated and micro-chipped, services that normally cost pet owners hundreds of dollars. Trained volunteers from the ASPCA’s Meet Your Match program will be on hand Friday to help people find their perfect companions.

Last year, one couple came in shortly before the ASPCA closed for the night to adopt a cat, Buchwald said. They fell in love with a pair of felines and took them both home.

“The female cat bonded with the woman in the couple and the male cat bonded with the man. They sent us a picture later and they each had their own little lap cat,” she said.

“But I don’t want to scare anyone. You can definitely come in and adopt just one cat.”

The ASPCA Adoption Center is located at 424 E. 92nd St. and will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29.