“It makes the workplace less stressful and anxious,” says an SPCA volunteer
Is there something your office needs? Is it possible that it’s a cat?
If so, you might want to try the Saskatoon SPCA’s new program for office foster cats.
Last week, the first business to take in an SPCA cat through the program was Century 21 Fusion in Saskatoon.
The office manager at Century 21, Jaimie Svennes, said that Misty, the foster cat, is a great addition to the business and that the stress level in the office went down right away.
“Seeing the cat makes you feel better. Because as soon as you say, “Here, kitty kitty,” you want to pet it,” “Svennes said.
“It gets you to stop thinking about something you might be stuck on.” Then you can get back on track instead of getting angry.
The SPCA’s volunteer and foster care coordinator, Madison Friesen, said the idea came up as a way to make the shelter less busy and give the cats a better chance of being adopted.
She said that there are almost always cats waiting to be adopted at the shelter. This new program gets animals out of kennels that are too small.
She said, “It’s also a way to keep pests out of the house without using poisons or pesticides.”
Friesen said that three more cats are going to be sent to businesses this week and that more people are asking about the program.
She said that an office cat is good for the morale of both people and cats.
“It makes the workplace less stressful and anxious,” Friesen toldSaskatoon Morning.
The SPCA checks out possible foster homes and helps with medical care
The SPCA makes sure that fostering cats have all the supplies and medical care they need. They also work with an office to make sure the animal is a good fit for the culture.
Friesen said that putting cats in offices lets them meet a lot more people who might want to adopt them.
“All the customers, staff, family, and friends see this cat and know what kind of person he is, so they could all adopt him.”
The SPCA asks that the decision to foster a cat be shared with everyone who works in the office. On the application, foster offices must also explain how they will care for the animal, even on weekends.
“On the weekends, we strongly, strongly recommend that someone come in regularly to take care of the cat or that someone take the cat home with them if they are willing.”