Like many of us, shelter cats are taking this time to reevaluate their space, redecorate and purchase new furniture. Or in their case, portals. Thanks to Million Cat Challenge’s Portalmania 2020, 82 shelters are being awarded 2,685 portals. Cramped housing has an adverse effect on cats. “Multiple studies have looked at the effect of poor housing on cats,… Learn More
Everyone knows cats like to climb, perch and explore. That’s why California builder Peter Cohen decided to turn his home into the ultimate feline playhouse for his 15 adopted cats. It all began when he moved into his home and found it came complete with two outdoor cats. When one was killed by a car… Learn More
What can you do to help project a more positive image of your shelter without spending a fortune? “Plenty!” said Denise Deisler and Makena Yarbrough in “A Fresh Image: Increasing Adoptions and Community Support by Revamping Your Shelter” at the Best Friends 2016 Conference. “It’s not about money and resources, it’s about being creative with what… Learn More
Shelter cats are happier, more playful, friendlier with each other, and less stressed when they have more room — 4 square meters, or 43 square feet, per cat, to be precise. In a study published in the June 2016 issue of Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Swedish researchers tested the play, mutual grooming, and inter-cat aggressiveness… Learn More
Desperate for cat adoption facilities but not enough funds to get a building? Build out “habitats” in your local pet store or vet clinic! If you’re not sure how to go about doing that, don’t worry: Bruce Walker and Bob Breeze of Austin Pets Alive! have now built several in the Austin area. Their habitats… Learn More
Cats are extremely sensitive to noise, crowding, and stress — three things that are in abundant supply in many animal shelters. These adverse conditions often lead to illness in sheltered cats, particularly the most common of all feline shelter diseases, upper respiratory infection (URI).
Famed animal behavior expert Karen Pryor, author of the landmark training book Don’t Shoot
the Dog and one of the founders of the clicker training movement, has a simple recipe to turn
down the volume caused by dogs barking in shelters.
Did you know that at around 118 decibels, shelters are noisier than a passing subway train and even louder than a jackhammer? That’s tough on our puny human ears – in fact, OSHA regulations say we should be wearing ear protection at levels above 90 decibels – but it’s even worse for dogs, who hear three times better than we do.
It’s a feline housing revolution — and it’s helping stop outbreaks of upper respiratory infections in their tracks!