Nuzzles & Co.: Cat Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Funding from the Petfinder Foundation's Cat Enrichment grant was used to purchase enrichment items for the cats housed at Nuzzles & Co.'s Rescue Ranch in Peoa, Utah.
Item breakdown:
-Assorted-color pipe cleaners, 1,000 count: $23.98
-Mousin’ Around Hide ’n Treat cat toy & treat-dispenser cat toy: $41.56
-Vinbee Cat Snack licking sugar ball: $53.67
-Blackhole litter mat interactive swimming robot fish toy: $14.95
-Petstages Hunt ’n Swat tumbler treat-dispensing cat toy: $12.78
-Silvervine natural catnip sticks: $17.98
-Feliway cat diffuser refill, 3 pack: $66.99
-Feliway travel spray: $104.32
-Two Thundershirts: $79.90
-Lickimats: $15.98
-Two puzzle toys: $29.98
-Feather toys with catnip: $35.97
-Small canvas from the dollar store: $2.00
Total: $500.06
Many of the cats at Nuzzles & Co. got a rough start in life, and are often skittish, stressed, shut down, or overstimulated when they come to us. The items purchased through the Petfinder Foundation Cat Enrichment Grant gave these cats the chance to have a break from being stressed or scared in a shelter environment and just be cats. They get the opportunity to decompress, have some fun, and build trust with the humans caring for them. As they become more comfortable, their true personalities really start to shine, giving them a better chance of finding their perfect forever homes.
How many pets did this grant help?
136 cats and counting
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
One of our long-term cats, Tumeric (first photo), is a sweet boy who enjoys affection from humans (on his own terms). He was very overstimulated and stressed when he arrived at Nuzzles & Co., making him more challenging to handle. His behavior turned around when he got the chance to relax and enjoy some mental stimulation through playing with the toys and the other enrichment items purchased with the Petfinder Foundation grant funds.
Tumeric has particularly enjoyed the interactive toys like the swimming robot fish (second photo) and the catnip canvas (third photo). Tumeric is now easier to handle and has a calmer demeanor. Though Tumeric hasn’t found his forever home just yet, we know the adorable pictures and video of him playing with the enrichment items will help him attract just the right humans for him to call his own. Meet Tumeric here.
