Broome County Humane Society: Cat Enrichment Grant Report

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

Funding from this grant was used to purchase 120 LickiMats for the cats in our care. These mats provide essential daily enrichment by promoting natural foraging behaviors, reducing stress, and supporting emotional well-being — especially important in a shelter environment. Thanks to this support, every cat now has access to calming, engaging enrichment each day.

Shortly after receiving the funding, our shelter experienced an unexpected influx of cats into our intake and isolation areas—far more than we had anticipated. In the past, enrichment for each individual cat in these spaces was limited due to both resources and availability.

With the addition of the Lick mats, we were able to ensure that every cat, even those in temporary isolation, received daily enrichment. These mats provided a calming activity that helped reduce stress, encourage natural foraging behavior, and offer a sense of comfort in an otherwise unfamiliar environment. What once would have been a quiet, unstimulating part of their stay has now become a more enriching and emotionally supportive experience—something we would not have been able to provide without this grant.

How many pets did this grant help?

700

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

Socks arrived at our shelter in March and initially struggled to adjust to the new environment. Recognizing his need for enrichment, our team introduced a lick mat as a form of mental stimulation — an intervention that has significantly helped reduce his stress and encourage more relaxed, natural behaviors. Thanks to this added enrichment, Socks has shown meaningful progress and continues to blossom as he awaits his forever home.