Cat Depot: Cat Enrichment Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

We purchased items to enrich the cats' lives during their stay at Cat Depot -- mainly parts for our cat-agility obstacle course and cat hammocks for offices and pods, but also cardboard scratchers, scratching couches, and interactive toys.

Staying at a shelter can be a frightening experience -- and boring for cats who don't interact well with other felines and need to be on their own. We strive to provide these cats room in an office, but their human roommates aren't there all the time. Having something to do and something to think about -- like the agility course -- alleviates boredom, prevents behavioral problems, and makes the cats more adoptable. Interactive toys encourage visitors to play with the cats. That's good for both humans and pets - and can lead to adoptions. We are so very grateful for this opportunity to improve the environment.

How many pets did this grant help?

1,530

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Kimberlina was scared and unhappy and did not show her best side to adopters. Getting a tunnel allowed her to observe while feeling safe, and the interactive toys helped her burn off some energy while bonding with humans. The grant definitely helped her find her furever home.