By Vicki Ingham
They don’t answer phones or bring you coffee, but kitties from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa can definitely change the conversation at your company’s water cooler. The ARL urgently seeks foster homes for cats that need a break from the shelter environment. The organization’s novel solution: inviting small businesses to “hire” cats to hang out in their offices. The kitties are great for greeting customers, serving as paperweights and giving the business a new marketing angle on social media. Plus, stroking a purring cat can lower your stress level and lift your mood.
The ARL receives as many as 50 cats a day in the summer, so the Shelter Cat Getaway program seeks to place the longer-term residents in volunteer foster homes or offices for a month or more, while the shelter tries to accommodate and place the new cats. For details on the program, click here. Or e-mail foster@arl-iowa.org if you can put one of these cats to work in your office. If you fall in love with your foster feline, adoption costs just $50 per cat or $75 for a pair.
