Community Corner

With Happier Cats, Open Cattery Has Increased Adoptions

No longer confined to cages, the cats at the West Suburban Humane Society can play, stretch and nap anywhere in WSHS' new open cattery.

If you walked into the cattery of the in Downers Grove a month ago, you'd see some cats playing in a confined space in the middle of the room. The rest waited in their individual cages. 

That lifestyle changed the cats' personalities, volunteers would say, especially for those who had been at the shelter longer. The cats weren't as friendly to strangers looking to adopt. They were stressed and more prone to illnesses like colds. 

The humane society's new cattery has changed that. The 15 cats who currently live in the space has free reign to hang out on the couch, snooze in one of the many cat beds or climb the shelves or ramp. 

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They're happier and healthier, said WSHS Director Carolyn Mossberger, and because of that, cat adoptions have increased. 

"They're all hanging out on this nice comfy couch we have," WSHS Director Carolyn Mossberger said. "When someone sits down, they all come running over to be in their lap."

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The shelter discussed changing the lay-out of the cattery this summer. It's the brainchild of the shelter's Cat Enrichment Committee. 

"If some dogs have been here for awhile, we might send them to training to make them more adoptable," Mossberger said. "We thought, what can we do to make our cats better while they're here." 

They toyed with the idea of re-designing the play areas in the cattery but "took it a step further," Mossberger said, to designing an open cattery lay-out. 

"A lot of shelters are going to it," she said. "We thought it was the best way to go." 

The project was funded with a $10,000 gift from the foundation of former volunteer, Alyssa Pagano, who died a few years ago. The condition: Use the money for the cats. Another WSHS anonymously matched the donation this year, and the renovation could begin. 

The cats were sent home with volunteers while work on the new cattery was completed. 

The new cattery opened Nov. 28 and can hold up to 30 cats.

New cats are evaluated before being introduced to the cattery, and cats who don't get along with others are housed in the shelter's front office. 

Check out our photos to the right to see the new space. Those interested in adoption a cat should contact the West Suburban Humane Society at 1901 Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove, at 630-960-9600 or online at www.​wshs-dg.​org/​wshs/.


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