Allegany County Animal Shelter Management Foundation: Stretch and Scratch Cat Scratchers Grant Report

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

We have hung the scratchers on cages for cats in our shelter as part of our enrichment program, included them in adoption kits for the kitties going home and provided them to the individuals who foster cats/kittens for us.

It provided a much needed outlet for cats in the shelter. It was amazing to watch how many immediately took the scratchers as soon as we hung them on their cages. It is also a nice send home item for adopters and will help reinforce positive scratching behavior for the cats in their new home.

How many pets did this grant help?

We have assembled over 50 adoption kits with the scratchers, used approximately 172 in-house and have sent home about 15 with fosters thhusfar.

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

At least two weekends a month I work in the shelter with one of our volunteer teams. There is a particular litter of kittens, the Crabtree kittens, that I just love. They are so playful and full of life. But needless to say, that means they also destroy their cage! As soon as the scratchers arrived, I immediately hung two on their cage. They LOVE them! Between the scratchers and the kitty Kuranda bed, they are having blast and getting more stimulation than just wrestling in an empty cage.