WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania: "Blue-eyed fun-loving fireball into running and climbing; chatty, very affectionate, extremely cute. Seeks playmate and companion. Must love cats."

At least, that's what you'd hope to see if kittens were to write their own personal ads. Which is why animal groups everywhere, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and the American Humane Association, are celebrating June as Adopt-a-Cat Month.

This month, hundreds of thousands of homeless cats and kittens are looking for a new lease on life. According to the News-Sun Online, "animal shelters across the nation burst with adorable feline furballs" around this time of every year.

“Cats make wonderful, loving companions, and this time of year, especially, we have many cats and kittens in need of good homes," Lycoming County SPCA Executive Director Vickie Stryker told the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

"We want to invite people looking to bring a four-legged addition to their family to visit the shelter and consider adopting a pet here.”

The grim reality is that animal shelters everywhere are overcrowded. According to the American Humane website, it is during the spring and summer that these shelters receive untold numbers of kitten litters. This translates to thousands of new arrivals - into shelters already stretched far beyond their limits.

In fact, it is estimated that eight to twelve million animals enter animal shelters each year, most of them dogs and cats. And while there are continuing efforts to get more people to adopt shelter animals, only about one in four are adopted into loving homes.

So what happens to the other healthy, yet unfortunate cats and kittens? They're put to sleep, euthanased because there just isn't enough space or resources in these overworked shelters to care for just so many animals.

So do you think you're ready to bring home your very own kitty? It's probably natural to want to adopt a kitten straightway. They're playful, they're fluffy, they're downright adorable - and they're also unstoppable furry balls of energy running rampant at night, knocking things over.

"You have to be able to live with what we call the kitten-zoomies," Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA's Adoption Center and Mobile Clinic in New York told the Enquirer. While they can be trained, she warned: "It's like telling a teenager to chill out."

So is a kitten really right for you? According to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, the ASPCA actually recommends passing up kittens and adolescents (cats less than 18 months old) in favor of more laid-back and mellow adult cats.

But if you really think you can handle all that cuteness and boundless energy, the ASPCA recommends you take two kittens home - in this case twice the kitten doesn't mean twice the trouble. Kittens can actually help take care of each other.

And remember that just like any other pet, keeping a cat as an animal companion, while very rewarding, entails a certain amount of responsibility and commitment.

Before you collect your new feline friend from the shelter, you may want to consider preparing your home for its arrival. First, look at your home through the eyes of a cat. Look around from their point of view - secure any breakables or potential hazards you think your new cat might get into. Do the same for your yard or other outdoor areas as well.

Next, you need some supplies: cat food (wet and dry), litter box and litter, some bitter apple or lemon-scented sprays (for marking areas you want off-limits to your cat), food and water bowls, toys, a cat carrier, a brush or a comb, and a scratching post (if you want to keep your drapes intact).

Later you'll need to take your kitty to the vet - for regular check-ups, and more importantly for neutering (if it's a male cat) or spaying (if she's a she!).

So head on over to your nearest animal shelter this month and bring home an adorable little furball. With proper care and nurturing, you'll find that your new feline friend will make a worthwhile lifetime companion.