Until last week, the more than 7,500 cats and kittens impounded by Dallas Animal Services each year were housed in stainless steel cages in the Lost & Found area with none of the comforts of home. The cages were lined with newspaper and the cats were provided with only a food bowl, water bowl, and a plastic litter box. Stress levels were high because the cats had no place to hide.
With the City of Dallas experiencing a significant drop in tax revenue and fighting to hold the line on essential City services, chances of the cats' situation improving any time soon were slim. But last week, Christmas came early when Companions for Life, with financing from the Petco Foundation, presented 92 brand new feral cat dens to Dallas Animal Services – one for each of the lost cat kennels.
The feral cat dens (photos left) will serve as cozy, secure hiding spots for frightened, lost, and feral cats and provide the feeling of safety necessary for the cats to relax. Experts in cat sheltering have long believed hiding places for cats in shelters are critical to reducing their stress. And reducing stress in shelter cats has been shown to reveal adoptable behaviors that otherwise remain hidden – a key component in making accurate assessments as to whether a cat is truly feral or tame, but frightened.
Reducing stress in shelter cats has also been shown to keep them healthier and safer. Stress can trigger illnesses in cats and spread disease, a huge concern in a shelter that impounds over 36,000 animals each year. The feral cat dens will also serve as a safe retreat where frightened cats can hide so caretakers can easily perform routine cage cleanings without removing the cats. When a more thorough cleaning is needed, caretakers can remove the dens from the cages with the cats safely secured inside.
With the new dens, it is hoped that the number of cats available for adoption will increase, euthanasia of frightened, lost, adoptable cats will decrease, and the cats will remain healthier and safer. The dens should also cut down on the time the staff has to spend cleaning cages, giving them more time to provide loving comfort and reassurance.
Companions For Life’s mission is to provide outreach and assistance to local animal shelters and rescue groups in order to save more lives. Donations can be made online to support CFL’s shelter outreach efforts.
Petco Foundation partners with non-profit animal welfare groups to provide the monetary, tangible and educational resources that will help them continue to make a difference in the lives of the companion animals in our nation.
For more information: "Keeping shelter cats healthy and happy: feline stress basics", by Kate Hurley, Center for Companion Animal Health at UC Davis; Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
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Copyright Rebecca Poling 2010. All rights reserved.
Comments
Great that they are caring for our cats!
Saw first hand yesterday what a difference these cubbies make! It was an instant feeling of protection and I could sense the fear factor had lessened! Thank you so much!! Ingenious idea!
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