Animal Charity of Ohio: Stretch and Scratch Cat Scratchers Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The Stretch and Scratch grant was used to stimulate the cats that are currently in our shelter waiting to be adopted as well as begin the learning process as to where is and is not appropriate to scratch. Therefore, when going into new homes we would have less returns for cats that are scratching furniture or other undesirable areas.
The Stretch and Scratch cat scratchers were placed on the inside of each individual cat's cage. They were beneficial in aiding proper scratching behavior. When sending a cat home with their new family, we sent them home with their scratch pad to continue teaching them where is appropriate to scratch. Also, to help keep the current cats housed in our facility stimulated and happy. Another way this has been beneficial to our organization is the door in the cat room has a wooden frame and the cats loved to scratch it! We placed a Stretch and Scratch pad on the door and it has deterred the cats from damaging the door frame and they are now happily scratching in a location that is acceptable.
How many pets did this grant help?
This grant has helped all of the cats that have been housed in our care. Up-to-date, the Stretch and Scratch cats scratchers have helped 17 cats!
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
One of our older residents came in very afraid and not very social. His name is Biggie and he was seized from a home where he was not cared for properly. It has taken some time to get Biggie to come around and begin socializing with our staff and potential adopters. In the beginning, Biggie didn’t even want to come out of his cage. Even with the door open, he would keep to himself. The Stretch and Scratch cat scratcher has helped him relieve stress in an environment that’s hard to get adjusted to. He now comes out every morning and is happy to see new people. Biggie has become much more adoptable and should be finding a new home soon. Learn more about adopting him here: http://bit.ly/AdoptBiggie
