Pet Valu contributes to kitty comfort at Sudbury SPCA

Article content

It’s kitten season and a Canadian pet supply company is doing its bit to ensure the little ones and their moms have comfy quarters at SPCA shelters in Ontario.

Article content

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

Pet Valu has provided a $180,000 Companions for Change sponsorship to support felines in the care of the animal welfare society, including those at the centre in Sudbury. 

The sponsorship renews the Cat Cabin Program, which helps cats and kittens settle in during their stay at a shelter or foster home and eases their transition to their forever homes.

“Made from sturdy cardboard, cat cabins provide a safe, comfortable place where cats and kittens can hide and play,” said Pet Valu and the Ontario SPCA in a release. “Available in two fun themes – Cabin in the Meow-tains and Miami Beach – each cat cabin has two entrances, a flat perch and an enclosed cabin area.”

Sonya Reichel, vice-president of operations with the SPCA and Humane Society, said these boxy abodes can “make a real difference” in acclimatizing cats to a new environment and reducing their anxiety.

Article content

Article content

“The unfamiliar setting of a shelter or foster home is very stressful for cats and kittens,” she said in the release. A cat cabin “provides them with a calm, enriching place where they can perch, hide and mark their scent.”

The cardboard condos are useful year-round but are particularly helpful at this time of year, “when we are caring and finding homes for so many cats and kittens,” added Reichel. “Cat cabins make for happier and healthier cats and we’re very grateful for the ongoing support we receive from Pet Valu.”

While the young ones have fun chasing each other through the entrances, the perches and private napping quarters are enjoyed by young and old alike. 

When a cat is adopted their cabin can also be “converted into a carrier to transport them safely to their forever home where the cabin can be re-assembled, providing a safe, familiar environment to help them settle,” the release notes.

Article content

The Companions for Change program was created by Pet Valu to support the vital work undertaken by rescues and shelters across Canada.

“Through their unwavering dedication, the Ontario SPCA plays a critical role in caring for the enormous number of pets in need,” said Tanbir Grover, chief of marketing and digital officer at Pet Valu. “Following the success and impact of our initial sponsorship in Ontario SPCA’s Cat Cabin Program in 2022, we are delighted to renew and expand our support.”

Pet Valu will help fund 5,000 cat cabins to be distributed to Ontario SPCA animal centres in Barrie, Whitby, Brockville, Napanee, Midland, Bracebridge, Orangeville, Orillia, Sudbury, Pembroke, Cornwall and Stouffville this year. 

Pet Valu will also provide its new Pet Parent Guide, which includes tips, checklists and up to $300 in savings for essentials to all pet lovers who adopt a cat or small animal through an Ontario SPCA animal centre.

The pet supplies company is based in Markham and counts more than 800 locations across the country.

People who are interested in providing a home for a cat or a kitten can visit ontariospca.ca/adopt to view the animals waiting for their forever homes.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca

Article content