Cat welfare pilot project shows positive effects for PEI Humane Society

A calm black and white cat reclines in its kennel at the PEI Humane Society in Charlottetown.

Content and ready to be adopted it's part of the Capacity for Care, or C4C, model of animal care that the shelter implemented in 2014.

"Well, change is never easy but we saw the results forC4Calmostimmediately," said Jennifer Harkness, development manager with the society.

"Over the long term, the biggest thing was less stress. The animals seem healthier and happier and also our staff are less stressedbecausethey are not running off their feet."

The C4Crecommendations came from Humane Canada, which was known then as the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.

It was a management model to help shelters adapt and provide better overall care forcats in their facilities.

Six shelters were chosen across the country as part of a pilot project.

Looking for better ways

Humane Canada looked at the shelter's numbers before C4Cwas implementedfrom August 2013 until July 2014 and compared them withthe following year.

"P.E.I. was an enthusiastic contributor to our cat welfare work going back to2012 when we were developing the cat overpopulation research," said ToolikaRastogi, policy and research manager with Humane Canada.

"They were ready and willing to jump in and make some changes in the shelter to improve the situation."

Changes included things like getting cats ready for adoption more quickly and rescheduling animal drop offs when the shelter was already full to a less busy time.

Kennels were made differently so that cats could have spacefor relaxingand separate space for their litter boxes.

The C4Cpilot project showed improvements in the quality of care for the cats across the country.

Improvements shown after implementation

In P.E.I., there were fewer animals being taken into the shelterand fewer cats getting sick.

"We did see a reduction in the length of stay by 29 per cent andwe also saw a reduction in illness in cats, 45 per cent, which is very significant," said Harkness.

The PEI Humane Society has adjusted to the C4C model and plans to continue using it.

They are also speaking with othershelters who arecuriousabout the program across Canada and some from the United States.

More shelters interested

"It is absolutely important for these homelessanimals to be able to get out of the shelter quickly and find an adoptive home so that they have a positive life with wonderful outcomes," Rastogi said.

She also said how important it is for the humans in the shelter to see the improvement and the happier, more content cats with better outcomes.

Rastogisaid they are working to get the Capacity for Care model into shelters around the country.

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