Homeward Animal Shelter: Cat Enrichment Grant Report

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

We used the grant funds to purchase enrichment supplies for the cats, including televisions with built-in DVD players (used to play cat videos in two wards), cat furniture (including a bridge and steps to be mounted in a playroom and our kitten ward), toys (including food puzzles), and Clik Stiks and treats (for clicker-training adult cats).

This grant allows us to provide further enrichment for our cats while they await their adoptive homes. This allows us to provide an even higher quality of life for our felines, and cats who feel stimulated are less likely to hide and more likely to interact with visitors, especially those who have been clicker-trained to do so.

How many pets did this grant help?

1000s

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

Grape (first photo) is an adult cat who has been with us since May of this year. Grape is a “high-energy” cat who always needs something to do, and, unfortunately, keeping a high-energy cat entertained in a kennel is not always easy. Sometimes, her energy would cause her to act out in frustration, but since she started using the food puzzle toys, her energy has been much easier to manage and she is no longer acting out angrily when it’s time to go back to her kennel. Hopefully, with the use of these new enrichment supplies, Grape’s newfound calmness will allow her to find an adoptive home soon! Grape’s profile: www.petfinder.com/petdetail/41642102