The Cat Posse: Cat Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The 2026 Cat Enrichment Grant is providing significant support to The Cat Posse by allowing us to purchase durable, easily sanitized Kuranda vertical enrichment towers and tower beds for our adoptable cats. After losing our adoption center in the Eaton Fire in January 2025, our rescue has been operating out of a temporary rental space and foster homes while we work toward rebuilding. Many of our rescue's cats experienced trauma, displacement, and medical recovery following the fire, making stress reduction and environmental enrichment especially important.
These enrichment towers give our cats safe, elevated spaces to perch, observe, and rest. Vertical enrichment is essential in shared rescue and foster environments because it reduces stress, supports confidence, and allows cats to avoid conflict by choosing their own comfortable space. The towers have already helped create calmer, happier cats and have improved adoption readiness by allowing them to relax and show their true personalities to potential adopters.
Because these towers are durable and fully washable, they are ideal for a rescue setting and will continue to be used for many years. When our adoption center is rebuilt, all of the grant's enrichment towers with beds will be able to be used there too, extending the impact of this grant well into the future.
How many pets did this grant help?
At least 25 adoptable cats will directly benefit from this grant across many years, as these durable cat towers will continue to be used as cats are adopted and new cats are rescued.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Two of the cats who have already benefited from this grant are Phoebe and Elsie, both survivors of the Eaton Fire. Phoebe, a sleek all-black cat, and Elsie, a sweet white-and-gray cat, both suffered emotional trauma and medical complications from smoke exposure during the wildfire evacuation. After months of recovery and getting the best care possible from our rescue and in their foster home, they are now healthy, adorable companions available for adoption.
When a Kuranda enrichment tower was placed in their foster home, Phoebe and Elsie immediately began using it as a shared resting and observation space. Having multiple elevated levels allowed them to perch together comfortably while still giving each cat her own secure area. Their foster caregiver reports that the tower is their favorite spot to nap, watch birds outside their screened-in catio enclosure, and relax without conflict.
Having them be calm and content has also made it easier to photograph and showcase them to potential adopters. You can see Phoebe enjoying the Kuranda tower on her Petfinder listing.
We are deeply grateful to the Petfinder Foundation for supporting The Cat Posse and the cats in our care!
