Posted: June 17, 2009, 3 a.m. EDT
An anonymous donor has pledged to match every dollar given to Helping Shelters Help Cats up to $500,000. |
Morris Animal Foundation’s Helping Shelters Help Cats program is funding three feline health studies that aim to help shelter cats stay healthy and stress-free until they are adopted.
These grants are made possible through an anonymous challenge gift in which the donor will match every dollar given to this program up to $500,000, for a potential total of $1 million. The Denver-based nonprofit will continue to take matching funds until it reaches its goal.
The studies include:
- “Effect of Cage Enrichment and Predictability on Healthy Outcomes of Shelter Cats,” by Linda Lord, DVM, Ph.D., at Ohio State University
- “Effectiveness of Behavioral Interventions to Increase Mucosal Immune Response in Shelter Cats,” by Clive Phillips, BSc, Ph.D., at University of Queensland
- “Comparison of Two Cage Types: Effect on Shelter Cat Stress, Upper Respiratory Disease and Adoption,” by Kate Hurley, DVM, at University of California, Davis
This shelter-health initiative is part of MAF’s Happy Healthy Cat Campaign, a global effort to increase funding for feline health research and training of new scientists.
In addition, everyone who makes a donation to Helping Shelters Help Cats between now and Friday, June 19, will be entered into a daily drawing for a “Treats & Toys” gift basket.
News of the three grants and the shelter program coincides with the promotion of Adopt a Cat Month in June.