Thanks to the generosity of a national charity, cats at the Quinte Humane Society now have a purr-fect place to strut their stuff for potential adopters.

Three new and improved adoption rooms were officially opened in a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning to allow for cats to have sufficient space to live and play in while they wait for adoption.
 
Executive Director of the Quinte Humane Society Frank Rockett said the project started to come together about six months ago, when they got the opportunity to apply for a $25,000 grant from the Pet Smart Charities of Canada Foundation.

"...We did apply for that grant and we were successful. We had a pretty compelling story of our need and through that grant, we were able to get the ball rolling to get these rooms put together with some nice new housing for the cats,” Rockett said.

“We have three new cages that are paid for entirely by Pet Smart Charities of Canada Foundation and it’s excellent for us."

Regional Relationship Manager for Pet Smart Charities of Canada Dani Lagiglia says they are "thrilled" to be able to support the Humane Society with the grant. 

"...It’s such a great organization that’s really concerned about the quality of care for the animals here and we’re so pleased to be a part of that,” Lagiglia said.

“We have worked with Frank before, he runs a fantastic organization and the leadership shown here is just an indication of how we’d like to support organizations like these,” she added.

Lagiglia explains what the focus of the foundation's grant making is.

“Our focus is really to ensure that the human and animal bond is strengthened through the power of pets. So, any ways that pets improve our lives, we’re happy to help ensure that pets find homes through adoption or through other means." she said.

Rockett said it's also vital to be able to make these "cat condos" attractive for potential adopters, as they were faced with a crisis of as many as 187 cats in care earlier this year. Now, with the new rooms officially opened and the number of cats being adopted expected to continue rising. Rockett said the Humane Society is set up to handle about 80 cats.

One of the big upgrades of the new units is a separate compartment for the cat's litter box, which Rockett said will keep their food, water and living space clean and comfortable.

He adds this is a proud accomplishment for everyone involved.

“It really feels great for both myself and the staff who work with the animals every day. It’s exciting to have an opportunity like this where we can improve the situation for the cats and also allow adopters to come in and feel comfortable looking at the cats in new and better accommodations.”

The Quinte Humane Society Board and volunteers were also a big part of this project's success, according to Rockett.

"They were on board, they wanted to see the lives of the cats improve, so they gave me the financial backing (and) the tools to get the job done,” he said.

And it already appears that these changes have been successful.

“I recently lost my cat, so I’m looking for a new one and I feel like this may be the day I just met an adorable little kitten that may be coming home with me," Lagiglia said smiling.

For more on the Pet Smart Charities of Canada Foundation, visit their website.