Durango Animal Connection: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

Thank you so much, Petfinder Foundation and KONG, for this grant of cat toys for our rescue! The toys you provided us helped enrich the lives of a mother cat with her litter of four kittens, a litter of kittens in quarantine receiving treatment for ringworm, and several other single kittens who were in our facility over the past three months.

All of the cats have had so much fun playing with the toys, smelling the catnip, and having an outlet for play while in quarantine. Your grant has provided our cats and kittens with interaction, entertainment and enrichment. Thank you!

How many pets did this grant help?

40

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

In November we received a litter of three kittens who had ringworm. These kittens had to receive a six-week-long treatment with oral medication and anti-fungal baths and had to be quarantined from the rest of the animals in our care for the duration of treatment. We moved them back and forth from an upright cat cage to a Zampa playpen during this time to prevent them from getting bored and to help them receive adequate exercise and socialization while still receiving treatment.

The toys this grant provided helped these kittens immensely. This was a difficult experience for them at a time when they would normally be out exploring, socializing, and learning all about the world around them. Through play, interaction and using their senses to explore the toys you sent to us, they were able to have happy, playful, social, and educational lives during this time.

Today, their ringworm treatment is complete and they are healthy and able to play and interact with several of our other animals and us as well. Two of the kittens were just adopted together yesterday! We are very pleased at the success of this experience and couldn’t have done it without your help! Thank you so much.