“Pawsh” new cabin accomodations for cats and small animals
Cats and small critters awaiting adoption at Ontario SPCA and Humane Society animal centres now have four new themed “cat cabin” designs that are as fun as they are functional to keep the animals comfortable and make them feel safe.
Cat cabins get a makeover
Presented by Pet Valu’s Companions for Change, the Cat Cabin Program features four new cabin themed designs featuring “Cabin in the Meow-tains,” “Miami Beach,” “Tiki Hut” and “Nautical Ship.” Instead of the usual brown cardboard box models of yesterday, the themed designs on each cardboard box feature illustrations that add the appearance of wall art, windows and even furniture to each cat cabin.
What is a cat cabin?
Cat cabins are cardboard box houses that act as a safe haven for cats in shelters. When a cat is adopted, the same “cat cabin” transforms into a temporary carrier that the cat can travel home in. Once home, adopters are encouraged to reassemble the cabin, as it has the cat’s scent on it and helps ease their transition into their new home by offering a familiar place to perch, sleep, hide and rub.
Cat cabins give cats a place where they can be partially hidden, which helps them to feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar shelter environment. With a flat perch-like surface on top of the enclosed cabin area, cats can also sit up off the floor when outside the cabin, which also helps them feel secure.
Plus, kittens love to play in them! With two entrances in each cabin, kittens can chase each other through, plus they can practice climbing!
The magic of cardboard
Cats are scent-oriented creatures. As cardboard absorbs scent well, cat cabins help soothe cats, who can be surrounded by their own familiar scent. When it’s time to head home with a new loving family, the cat goes home with his or her personal cabin. This brings a familiar piece of furniture with them that also is coated with their own scent. Both make the transition to a new home easier.
Small creatures love cabins, too!
Rodents and rabbits also like the cabins. Since they are chewers, they sometimes like to add their own unique design features, such as new doors and windows.
For rabbits who are an appropriate size for the cabins, the box gives them a place to sit while getting the benefit of feeling partially hidden. As rabbits and small mammals are prey species, they often like to feel secure by having walls and ceilings over them. Rabbits are also highly-scent oriented animals, and will “chin” their boxes, urinate on them (especially males), and otherwise add their scent to their boxes. This helps establish the cabin as their own, and can help give them a sense of security and ownership. Both can help reduce their stress while in care.
And assuming they haven’t reduced their box to shreds, it too can go home with them, and will have the same benefit to them as the den boxes with cats.
Interested in adopting?
Interested in adopting? Visit ontariospca.ca/adopt to see animals waiting for loving homes. Your new best friend could be there, waiting for you in their new cat cabin – curled up by the fire in their meow-tain ski chalet, making waves on the beach, enjoying a siesta under a string of tiki lights, or waiting to sail off into the sunset.
