Don’t buy pets, adopt them: Richa Chadha on National Shelter Pet Day

ON subject follow a Shelter Pet daylight, doer Richa Chadha strongly advocates for adopting animals instead of purchasing them, calling it a more humane and conscious choice. Richa, who is herself a pet mom to two adopted cats, Kamili and Jugni, backs her stance with personal experience as she tells us that she has never purchased a pet and has instead chosen to bring home strays and rescues. “I have never bought a pet. I have always adopted strays,” she says, underlining her long-standing commitment to adoption.Speaking about her feline companions, the 39-year-old describes them as intuitive and independent, with distinct personalities that have shaped her everyday life. “Cats are very intelligent creatures. They understand companionship, love, and privacy very differently, and they also have a very independent streak. If they don’t like something, they make sure you know.” Some of her fondest memories with her pets are deeply personal, especially from the time of her pregnancy in 2024. “My cats were very friendly with me during my pregnancy, which is always going to be a very special memory,” she shares, adding that even now, their presence around her baby girl is something pure and unique.“My cats are usually around the baby when she’s asleep. They get scared of little children as they are unpredictable, and cats don’t like that,” she adds with a smile. The actor, who has been a pet mom for as long as she can remember, says every pet deserves a forever home. Sharing why she prefers adopting a pet instead of buying one, Richa says: “I have actually never bought a pet. I have always adopted strays.” Adding that her current pets, Jugni and Kamli, also came into her life through adoption—one a breeder rescue and the other a kitten from a friend’s cat’s litter. Her belief in adoption dates back to her childhood in Delhi. “The first pet I remember having was a black Indie stray called Kalu in my house in Delhi. It’s a beautiful dog,” she shares, adding, “Strays are very hardy, especially dogs in India. They know how to survive in the habitat. If you can get a stray animal, a cat or a dog, home and take care of it while giving it enough independence so you also don’t feel the burden, I think it’s a great idea for everyone to have an animal in their lives.”At the same time, Richa stresses the importance of awareness and responsibility when it comes to choosing pets. “People who like breeds must remember that each breed has certain characteristics,” she says, pointing out how climate plays a crucial role. “Sometimes people are looking for an intelligent dog, so they get a husky. But the husky is actually native to Siberia. You have to evaluate where you live. If you’re living in Delhi or Bombay, in tropical environments, it gets rather difficult.” Calling out the growing trend of treating pets as status symbols and stressing the need for more awareness and responsibility, Richa notes: “Pets today are treated more like lifestyle accessories. Actually, from the 17th and 18th century itself, dogs have been treated like trophy dogs.” She strongly advocates for stricter regulations around breeding. “Stricter rules around breeding are really required because when you see a purebred cat mom at the end of several rounds of forced insemination and baby producing, it’s horrible. It’s just horrible how we treat them.”Deeply disturbed by instances of cruelty around her, the actor does not mince her words. “I can’t watch people being cruel to animals. It just drives me insane,” she says, referring to a recent incident where a dog was left chained in extreme heat. “They were only fined a thousand bucks, but they should be fined much, much more. It’s the municipality’s responsibility to neuter and feed them. If dogs are neutered and kept in a healthy condition, they are really amazing. They’ve been known to save lives,” she says.Pointing to unethical breeding practices and the lack of empathy shown towards animals, the actor ultimately wishes to pass down these values to her child as well. “I just want her to see all life as sacred,” she signs off.