Rhode Island SPCA: Cat Enrichment Grant Report

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

With this amazing Petfinder Foundation grant, we were able to purchase quality toys and enrichment for all of our shelter cats. These interactive toys closely imitate prey, allowing us to better interact with the cats. Our cats especially loved the cat dancers, Da Bee cat toys, and GoCat lures catcher with mouse toys!

Our staff and volunteers enjoyed using these toys and spent more time with each cat because of that. Because we do not receive any local, state, or federal funding, we rely solely on donations and grants, so this Petfinder Foundation grant allowed us to stretch our cat enrichment budget further that we otherwise could have.

How many pets did this grant help?

Approximately 200 cats from October through December 2024

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

GoCat’s Da Bee lures are a great tool for helping shy cats, such as Cinnamon, come out of their shells. Da Bee has a texture that cats find irresistible, and when the toy is in motion, it mimics the movement of ground prey, bringing out the cat’s natural hunting instinct.

For cats in a shelter environment, play is not just fun — it is also a huge confidence boost. Cats like Cinnamon, who may feel uncertain or shy, benefit greatly from interactive play. Incorporating Da Bee play sessions is a simple yet powerful way to help shelter cats feel more confident and secure.

We are happy to report that a more-confident Cinnamon was adopted and is now thriving in his new home!