The SPCA of Texas is thrilled to announce that it has received a generous grant in the amount of $5,000 from Maddie's Fund^®, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, to provide supplies for the SPCA of Texas' new Working Cats Initiative, which is part of the organization’s Adoptions Program. This initiative will prepare indoor cats, who have come in through animal cruelty situations, for jobs in warehouses, storage facilities, offices, police stations, restaurants and other locations that need rodent control.

The SPCA of Texas' Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit (ACI) rescued almost 600 cats from inhumane conditions last year. A large portion of these cats were saved from hoarding situations and because they never lived outdoors, they are not good candidates for a traditional barn cat program. They also can't be adopted as house pets or returned to their previous location because they are unsocialized. The SPCA of Texas' Working Cats Initiative will give these cats a second chance by preparing them to be working cats. They will be sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped, and ear-tipped before starting their jobs and they will be acclimated to their new environment. The cat’s employer will be provided with food, bedding, a litter box, and litter during the acclimation period and will be instructed on how to care for the cat.

The ultimate goal for this initiative is to save the lives of unsocialized cats. There are many cats in local shelters that are euthanized for being unsocial and because they are not eligible for Trap-Neuter-Return programs. The SPCA of Texas hopes to help 100 cats in the first year of this life-saving initiative. The SPCA of Texas is able to provide exceptional care for these animals thanks to this generous grant from Maddie's Fund^®.

If your business is interested in employing a working cat, contact workingcats@spca.org. Learn more about the initiative at www.spca.org/workingcats.