in the nz news....
TV to help cats adjust to living with people
05 March 2003
Dogs have masters, cats have staff – and nobody knows that better than the Kapiti SPCA where stray, lost and homeless cats watch television all day long from the comfort of cosy couches and arm chairs.
Waikanae shelter manager Lloyd Warren, said he had done up two rooms – one for cats and one for kittens – like lounges to help the animals get accustomed to living with people.
Last week he bought the cats their own 20 inch TV for $40 – the asking price had been $50 but he cheekily convinced the seller to knock $10 off "because it had no remote control".
"The whole point of the idea is to make these animals more sociable. Every house has got a TV now."
Familiarising the cats with television would help make the move to a new home less stressful.
But he had noticed some cats preferred sitting on the TV to watching it.
TV was switched off at 5pm: "We don't let them watch the news, it's too depressing," he said.
And the cat and kitten rooms were popular with volunteers who helped socialise the animals by sitting with them, sometimes for up to two hours.
"A lot of people (looking for a new cat) want to know if they're lap cats. Now you can sit down and see which ones come and sit on your lap."
Eight cats and four kittens were living in the shelter at present, but more were expected soon.
Most cats spent four to six weeks at the shelter, but kittens were adopted out very quickly, he said.
TV to help cats adjust to living with people
05 March 2003
Dogs have masters, cats have staff – and nobody knows that better than the Kapiti SPCA where stray, lost and homeless cats watch television all day long from the comfort of cosy couches and arm chairs.
Waikanae shelter manager Lloyd Warren, said he had done up two rooms – one for cats and one for kittens – like lounges to help the animals get accustomed to living with people.
Last week he bought the cats their own 20 inch TV for $40 – the asking price had been $50 but he cheekily convinced the seller to knock $10 off "because it had no remote control".
"The whole point of the idea is to make these animals more sociable. Every house has got a TV now."
Familiarising the cats with television would help make the move to a new home less stressful.
But he had noticed some cats preferred sitting on the TV to watching it.
TV was switched off at 5pm: "We don't let them watch the news, it's too depressing," he said.
And the cat and kitten rooms were popular with volunteers who helped socialise the animals by sitting with them, sometimes for up to two hours.
"A lot of people (looking for a new cat) want to know if they're lap cats. Now you can sit down and see which ones come and sit on your lap."
Eight cats and four kittens were living in the shelter at present, but more were expected soon.
Most cats spent four to six weeks at the shelter, but kittens were adopted out very quickly, he said.
