I have worked as a volunteer in shelters for more than 10 years. Watching my local shelter grow and then go through a major remodel has has been a great joy. The cat area has seen the greatest change, but it wasn’t t until I heard Dr. Kate Hurley (right) speak at the North American Veterinary Conference earlier this month in Orlando that I fully appreciated the work and thought that went into remodeling my local shelters’ cat housing.
When I first started volunteering, the cats at the Naples Humane Society were housed in stainless-steel cages lined against a wall. About five years ago the cages were removed and the cats had one 6-foot-by-20-foot open cat room with a glass wall so the staff and adopters could watch them. Potential adopters were allowed into the room one at a time to visit an animal. The cats had beds and shelves lining against one wall, so there was only about three feet of room left to meet the cats.
After hurricane damage forced the issue and a successful fund-raiser found the funds, the cats now enjoy the best housing yet. The shelter staff went to great lengths to put into action the “Five Freedoms” promoted by Dr. Hurley, head of the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. Freedom from: Hunger/thirst, discomfort, pain/injury/disease, stifled normal range behaviors, and fear and distress.
Now in our shelter, there are six 12-foot-by-14-foot rooms with additional 10-foot-by-10-foot covered outdoor patios for the cats. The cats have beds, multiple litter boxes and feeding stations, shelves and climbing units. They are segregated according to age. You can see how much room they have now in the picture from when our Dr. Becker visited: That’s him with Michale Simonik, in the kitten room.
Dr. Hurley said a shelter’s housing should try and meet the needs of felines as much as possible. Cats enjoy stretching, eating in peace, looking out windows, hiding, laying in the sun, and playing.
The first few days a cat is in a shelter are very important, she said, noting that this is when the cat is the most stressed, and can be most prone to getting or sharing disease or getting sicker. Cats at this stage need a place to hide, to let them settle in for a week or two before placing them into long-term housing. This helps them cope with stress and also give vaccinations time to work.
Dr. Hurley stressed that the real goal is getting cats placed quickly: Getting them adopted promptly not only places more cats in homes, but also decreases the cat’s chances for contracting disease.
What can a shelter do if a major remodeling isn’t an option? Hurley said that shelters need to move the chances up in their priorities, because better housing saves money in the long run. On the program’s website are resources to show the financial benefits — these can help shelter managers in their planning and fund-raising.
In the short-term, using the stainless-steel small animal cages which many shelters have now, she suggests:
Add shelving in the cage (ex: Kuranda), or inserts that fit into cage to give height. Add a hammock.Cover half the cage front with a towel or handmade curtain.Dr. Hurley says that each cat having a carrier of his or her own. The carrier can be used for hiding (if the cage space allows), is good to move cat into while cleaning, transporting for clinical procedures, and then go with the cat when adopted. Using a carrier also allows caregivers in shelters to practice better hygienic care (she showed slides of a caretaker holding cat against her scrubs to move cat — this leads to disease transfer opportunities). Moving a cat in her or his own carrier is better. Once the cat is in separate long-term housing with more space the carrier should be left in the open. This is a good idea even when cat is adopted and at new home. Goal=carrier is good, not evil.
What else do cats need? Large litter boxes, relief from the sound of dogs, and visual stimulation.
I found her take on cages as a visual challenge interesting. She spoke of how a shelter should tackle the layout of cages. She did not like it when cats had to look at other cats’ cages, which she termed ‘”enforced staring.” Cats have nowhere to hide and just look at each other all day. Again, the cloth covering half the cage opening is easy to do.
Then Dr. Hurley spoke about long-term housing, which is what I witnessed at our local shelter. It may take years to raise the funds for multiple open rooms, or even space for a large open room. Dr. Hurley recommended that if cats are in cages, placing the cages eye level to caregiver and adoption prospects is ideal. Rotate the cats. Put toys in the cage whether the cats use them or not. She said cats may use toys when no one notices and she also noted that adopters look at cats more if there is a toy in the cage. Give the cats room to stretch. Placing a vertical cat stretch in a small cage may not work. A cat needs to be able to stretch to use it.
What really struck me was that cats need more room between each other when in group housing, which made sense, because when cats are vying for territory in group housing, they have to “watch their backs” when eating, and also adjust to new people and cats coming and going on a day-to-day basic.
Dr. Hurley’s talk was informative, humorous and compassionate. Visit the website to check out the resources to provide better care for shelter pets.
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What does a huge Hershey bar have to do with a shelter? Dr. Becker and his wife, Teresa, brought the bar from Times Square, after Dr. B recorded his recent segment for “The Dr. Oz Show.” The Naples Humane Society has a Valentine’s Hearts and Chocolate fund-raiser coming up, and they needed Hershey props. I once saw a photo of Teresa pretending to eat a huge Hershey bar on Dr. Becker’s Facebook page. So, I asked for his help in finding the candy bar. He insisted on bringing one to us when he came down for a lecture for a separate organization here in Naples. Wow! The fact that America’s Veterinarian hand-delivered this candy bar will go over wildly at the fund-raising event. Big shout out *thank you* to the Beckers. They pretty much will do anything in their power to help animals!
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