SPCA Serving Erie County: Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Kuranda products to place at our various offsite locations:
1. Six three-cat tier towers
2. Three four-tier cat towers
3. Three five-tier cat towers
4. Six kitty cots
5. 35 fleece pads
By having disinfectable (Kuranda-type) cat towers and kitty cots, we are able to decrease disease transmission by supporting a feline’s ability to resist infection, decrease the level of pathogen exposure and positively alter environmental factors.
The trees or cots help to decrease stress by providing enrichment, thereby supporting the cat's ability to resist infections. By introducing these additions to the environment, the cats/kittens are encouraged to explore vertically and seek heights where they will feel more at ease.
Having disinfectable surfaces where cats can lounge, combined with an appropriate cleaning protocol, decreases disease transmission by decreasing the level of exposure. Through providing and enforcing high standards of care and education that are visible to partner businesses, cat groups and the general population, our goals of decreasing disease through preventative measures are exponential.
How many pets did this grant help?
Ten of our offsite locations were outfitted with Kuranda products beginning Oct. 5, 2016. There were 75 feline adoptions in those locations from that date through the end of October. We share space with other organizations at four of these locations and they have had use of our equipment and adoptions of their own during that time. During our last fiscal year, the offsite department was responsible for over 1,000 adoptions!
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Siblings Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler (first photo) was surrendered to the SPCA Serving Erie County in mid-September at just over 4 weeks of age and weighing in at 1¼ lbs. Scarlett spent the next four weeks in foster care, putting on weight and being socialized in an active family with children, cats and a dog. Per her foster mother, she’s a sweet, quiet kitten who loves to play with the crazy circle, little soft mice and crinkle balls. She is also a climber and a cuddler when she is through with her antics. After her spay surgery, we placed her and her brother at one of our offsite locations that is a boarding facility. Thanks to the experiences she had in foster care, she and her brother made a quick adjustment to the location and thoroughly enjoyed climbing up and hanging out on the Kuranda tower. Scarlett found her forever home less than 10 days later.
