Cal Poly’s Cat Program is running low on volunteers this summer season. They said staffing at their shelter gets harder when trainees leave in the summer, so they’ve requested for volunteers from the neighborhood.
The shelter homes more than a lots cats in a huge room gotten in touch with an outdoor patio, called the “Catio”. Fundraiser expert and Cal Poly trainee Mimi Raytis said help around the shelter can get tough throughout the summer season time.
“The summer is always hard with volunteers because we are mostly student-based. And so when all the students leave to go home it gets a little sparse,” Raytis said.
Raytis has actually been working for the Cal Poly Cat Program for about a year and a half. She said these volunteers are important for keeping the program afloat and the training procedure fasts for those simply getting included, generally taking about an hour.
“You just kind of walk through all the duties of being a volunteer which it’s just making sure all the foods filled up and wiping down any surfaces that seem dirty. And besides that, [you] just hang out [and] socialize with the cats,” Raytis said.
The program initially began in the 1990’s as a senior job, however then grew as trainees recognized they might help more cats than they initially believed.
“They were just trying to control the cat population on campus and then after a few years, we just figured out that a lot of the cats weren’t feral and could be adopted out. Then we started keeping them here until they got adopted,” Raytis said.
The Cal Poly Cat Program doesn’t simply concentrate on embracing and cultivating cats. Some of the feral cats that come through the shelter go through another program of theirs to assist with farming in the neighborhood.
“That’s a big program that we have is a barn cat program,” Raytis said. “So any feral cats that we’re able to trap [and] neuter them, and then there are different wineries and barns in the area who are looking for barn cats for that specific reason — just to help with the rodent population on their farm.”
Raytis said anybody can use to be a volunteer on their website under the volunteer tab. The shelter is likewise accepting contributions and applications to foster cats. For those wishing to get included, more details is at calpolycatprogram.org.
