OK, so I may be a little tired of Uber’s publicity stunts… but they may have won me back over a little with this one: It’s National Cat Day today, so for one day only, Uber is delivering kittens on demand. Literally. Take a look at the Uber app right now and you’ll find an option that just says “KITTENS!” I’d call that a win.
This isn’t the first time Uber has pulled this stunt; you might recall that they did it last year, too. This year, the ridesharing app has teamed up with Cheezburger and the ASPCA on it (of course), so between 12 and 4 p.m. on October 29, kittens will be available for 15-minute cuddle sessions. Uber will bring your furry little companion right to your home or office in seven different cities — Austin, Chicago, DC, New York (Manhattan only :( ), Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle — each of which is working with a local animal shelter to make the whole thing happen. Oh, and lest it sound a tad exploitative, rest assured that it’s for a good cause: All the money raised during the promotion will benefit those local shelters and the pets they care for. If I sound a little overexcited about it… that’s because I am. Here’s how I actually feel right now:
Minus the nachos. (Although nachos are usually pretty exciting, too.)
Here’s how UberKittens works:
- Open up Uber (or download it, if you don’t already have it).
- Select the “KITTENS!” option. If you're in New York or DC, enter the code "kittensnyc" or "kittensdc" to unlock the option.
- If there are kittens available, they’ll be whisked straight to you, at which point you will enjoy 15 minutes of furry, fuzzy, adorable snuggling. Awwwwwww!
I think it’s pretty safe to say that the kittens are going to be in extremely high demand (it actually caused a kitten shortage last year), so you’ll have to move quickly if you want kitty cuddles. $30 will be charged to your Uber account — which, again, will all go to your city’s animal shelter — and of course you can donate more if you want. And if you want to keep your kitten? You can do that, too! In most cities, they’re up for adoption, so if you want to give one of them a forever home, have a chat with the shelter representative that will be there to assist during your cuddle session.
Founded in 2005 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige, National Cat Day aims to “help galvanize the public to recognize the number of cats that need to be rescued each year.” And if you already have cats? Well, just go ahead and spoil them a little bit today. And while you’re at it, enjoy a few more kitten GIFs, too, because cats are the best.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few furry little beasts of my own I need to go smother with love…
