Humane Fort Wayne: Cat Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Humane Fort Wayne is always looking for ways to improve the experience for our feline friends who come to our shelter in search of a new home. We recognize that big changes are scary, stressful, and often sudden for the cats in our care. With this in mind, we wanted to provide our cats with some tools to make these changes more seamless.
With the generous support of the Petfinder Foundation, we were able to purchase an exercise wheel, two felt tunnels, three cat condos, and two limited-contact vaccination cages. These tools have been a game-changer for our most recent residents.
The sanctuary spaces have provided our multi-cat rooms with safe spaces for cats to take the time they need to decompress and feel out their new environment. They allow them to greet their neighbor cats and human visitors at their own pace! With this added security, we’ve seen our adoptable-cat tenants adjust more quickly to their surroundings and we’ve noticed that there have been fewer altercations between kitty roommates.
The tunnels and exercise wheel have also been a fun addition. Our volunteers and staff members have been working with our cats to teach them how to use the new equipment. There is a lot of interest and we can’t wait until they get the hang of it! It has been a complete joy to watch the cats play chase and run in and out of the tunnels -- some even choose to snooze on them!
The limited-contact vaccination cages have provided a great alternative for cats who fear being handled by new humans. These additional tools have helped our staff members provide comfortable wellness visits and administer vaccines without hands-on restraint. Our cats in our working-cat program give them four out of four paws!
How many pets did this grant help?
Last year, we helped over 1,000 cats find their furever homes and this year we’re on track to help even more! Because these tools are sturdy and reusable, we expect the amount of pets affected by this grant to continue to grow and grow!
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Sandy Cheeks was transferred to our facility from a partner shelter that was out of space.
When Sandy first came to Humane Fort Wayne, she was shy and very cautious. At first, she didn’t want to meet any of the other cats who shared the room with her.
She kept to herself until the kitty sanctuary spaces arrived. Once they were delivered, Sandy picked the top bunk and made herself at home (first photo). Over the next few days, she started to peek her head out to greet her cat neighbors (second photo) and human passersby.
Not long after, Sandy introduced herself to a prospective adopter and they became fast friends. We are happy to report that she has met her match and is living her best life with her new family.
Noah (third photo) is a 4-year-old cat who never turns down a hug and who also loves a good challenge. When we delivered the felt tunnels, Noah pounced on the opportunity to venture through to the unknown. Although Noah is a little brawny, it didn’t deter him from exploring the tunnel’s loop (fourth photo).
It may have taken a few tries (fifth photo), but ultimately, the tunnel became a favorite place Noah chose to frequent. He often played, slept, and ate treats in the tunnel until the day he got adopted!
