PAWS Animal Welfare Society, Inc.: Cat Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
We used the $900 grant from the Petfinder Foundation to purchase a cat enclosure that is 8 ft. tall, 6 ft. wide, and 6 ft. long. It has four shelves on the walls and is very well constructed. The enclosure is attached to the building and the cats get in and out of it by climbing out a window. The enclosure was purchased from Safe Kitty in Buxton, Maine.
The cats having access to the outdoors while remaining completely safe is a benefit to the cats and to Paws Animal Welfare Society, Inc. The cats will have greater stimulation and exercise and will be able to enjoy the outdoors. This will make them more content and may decrease the transmission of diseases, since they will have access to fresh air. We visited another shelter that had a large outside area and they found that to be true. Also, the general public will view this addition to the shelter in a favorable way and perhaps be inspired to provide a similar enclosure for their pets.
How many pets did this grant help?
It will help all of the cats that are in this particular room of our shelter. It is the room where our semi-feral cats roam. The number of cats in the room at any one time varies. Right now there are only three, but we are in the process of moving others into the room. We have a larger room where cats that are ready for adoption roam. We want to have another enclosure to attach to this part of the building so that these cats can have the same advantages as the cats now will have in the smaller room. We are in the process of ordering one.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
As you can see, several cats did enjoy the enclosure until we had to close it due to winter weather. Bingo, a gray and white older cat, was an outside cat, so the enclosure gave him an opportunity to get outside again. He has been adopted.
Charles and Logan, black and white siblings, liked to play outside and hide in our igloo. You can meet Charles and Logan here.
Ice, a white cat, liked her privacy with regard to other cats, so she would come outside to look around and and sit in the sun. She has been adopted.
Next year our cats will have from spring to fall to enjoy the benefits of our enclosure: sitting in the sunshine, having extra space to explore, walking on and lying in the grass, being in the fresh air, jumping on the shelves, and watching the birds. Best of all, they will have access to these benefits and remain safe from harm.
