3 crafty— and free!— ways to help shelter pets find forever homes

1 Donate a cozy “blanket”

Research out of the University of Sydney in Australia found that animals seen cuddling are adopted 30% faster! To make a purr- fect pet-sized blanket, simply cut the sleeves off an old sweater, stitch up the sides and donate it to Comfortforcritters.org, who will send it to a shelter in need. No time to craft? Gently used pillowcases, sheets, towels and bath rugs can also serve as comfy cage linings!

2Bring joy with a sock toy

Shelter animals seen playing with toys are significantly more likely to find forever homes, according to a study done by the ASPCA’S Adoption Center in New York City. And you can donate cute toys without spending a dime! For kitties, put an empty toilet paper roll and a sprinkle of catnip inside a bright sock and tie the top with a rubber band. For pups, place a clean plastic bottle inside a sock and tie the end. Fun!

3 Boost their cute factor

In a survey recorded in the academic journal MDPI, “appearance” was cited as the most important consideration for people who adopted dogs. To spiff up a potential adoptee, you can make adorable bandannas from old T-shirts by cutting squares (13"x13" for a small pup or cat, to 25"x25" for a large dog) and folding diagonally. Then write a message on the bandanna, like Looking for love or Adopt me!