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3833hrPeekandPrizeToyBoxsmaller — Peek N Prize Toy Box at MyThreeCats.com

What types of environmental enhancements do you offer your cat?

Caring for cats properly involves much more than simply furnishing food, water and a litter box. Environmental enrichment, such as toys, food puzzles, perches, and even hiding places, can really change the quality of life for almost any cat.

The Winn Feline Foundation recently took a look at this issue in a group of shelter cats on their blog. Environmental enrichment in shelter cats is an excerpt from a study which provided a food puzzle to a stable group of shelter cats and examined their reaction to the puzzle and their interactions surrounding the object. The study concluded:

“a stimulating item that can be shared by all individuals in a stable group, such as a puzzle feeder of appropriate size, can play an important role in promoting positive social interactions among cats and improving their welfare.”

Certainly, in shelter cats, this is an important study. It underlines the need for more than just basic care in the lives of these animals and the fact that this enrichment is easily achievable. After all, the ultimate goal is to give these cats the best chance for adoption. Cats that are comfortable in their environment and confident will show it in their behavior. And confident behavior is much more “adoptable” than a cat that is hiding in his cage or, worse yet, acting in aggressive manner out of fear.

However, this study also can be extended to those of us who keep multi-cat households. I have three cats and frequently see two or more of my cats interacting with the toys and puzzles at once. In fact, it seems as though if one cat shows interest, it generates interest in the other cats as well.

Many environmental enhancement toys, cat furniture and other items can be found at www.MyThreeCats.com, the experts in optimum care care and well being.

Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary – A Lifeline for Rome’s Strays

KcarusoA — "Caruso" King of the Cats at Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary

There are good people everywhere who care about homeless cats, who devote countless hours to caring for them until they can find a permanent “forever” home.

Such good people can be found at Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary in Rome.

I discovered Torre Argentina watching a documentary on TV. When I researched them further on line, I was so impressed with their tireless efforts for the cats, I knew I had to help. I was able to adopt “long distance” a beautiful black male which I named “Caruso”. Caruso was named in honor of my father, whose love of cats in turn, inspired my love of these beautiful, intelligent creatures.

Here’s a typical work day at the sanctuary:

“We’ve organized our workdays to begin at 8 A.M. with cleaning and disinfecting cages. Due to our confined quarters and the ease with which diseases spread, this job is one of the most important for our volunteers. Next, food is distributed to the cats in the underground shelter along with those that live permanently outdoors among the ruins. While feeding the outdoor cats, the volunteers must keep a vigilant eye out for sick or newly abandoned ones who must be caught, treated, vaccinated, spayed and neutered.

The workload at the sanctuary demands our presence seven days a week, including Christmas, Easter and every other holiday. Not only do the cats need daily attention, our finances do as well. Soliciting donations from tourists in all kinds of inclement weather is necessary for the survival of the sanctuary. Bad weather means no tourists or passersby – our biggest source of income. You can imagine our dilemma with a week of rain…

The need to stay abreast of medical issues, scheduling volunteers and developing new fundraising ideas has necessitated role and responsibility definition for all of us. Lia as treasurer, raises and manages funds, purchases supplies and oversees housekeeping and food distribution. Silvia is the spokesperson for the sanctuary. In addition, her responsibilities include record keeping and handling correspondence. In the end we must all be ready to clean a cage and distribute food.

Being denied facilities is one problem. Keep in mind that we worked with no running water and electricity for a year and a half. The only solution was to carry buckets to the nearest Roman fountain and back. The lighting problem was solved with a big gas lantern on a table. The shadows of the cats on the cave walls would have been a perfect backdrop to a Halloween movie. Currently we are still not hooked up to the city’s drainage system. There are no bathrooms and there is no hot water. .

In spite of all the obstacles and disappointments, Lia, Silvia and the volunteers say they have never felt so satisfied, useful and happy. At times when it seems impossible to go on, something happens that raises hope and encouragement. Perhaps one of our most handicapped cats is adopted or a generous donation helps pay another bill. In the end, the hundreds of abandoned cats and kittens that have been placed in loving families and the 3722 we managed (just in one year ) to have sterilized make it all worthwhile.”

Please visit www.romancats.com/ for more information on this wonderful sanctuary and how you can help.

Project PURR’nership

Have you ever wanted to have access to a full listing of shelters and animal welfare organizations across the U.S.? Look no further than www.MyThreeCats.com . We’re excited to announce our new shelter resource page, still under construction, but well along the way (we hope to have most states’ shelters listed by year end). Click the Project PURR’nership link at www.MyThreeCats.com and read all about this exciting project. If you happen to be a shelter or animal rescue, foster or welfare organization and want to be listed, please follow the instructions provided on the Project PURR’nership page. The Project PURR’nership resource is our way of saying thank you – to you, our good customers and visitors, and to our nation’s shelters and animal welfare organizations, for caring and making a difference in the lives of thousands of homeless cats and dogs.