Benjamin Hemmer decided for his Eagle Scout Project he wanted to do something for Copper Country Humane Society. He has been working with CCHS's assistant manager and his support team through the scouts to plan out the construction of a catio for the cats to get some outside time when the weather is nice. In his words, "It can be used in the summer, fall, and 1 week of spring we get each year."

Many people think of dogs when they think about pet enrichment, but it is so good for cats too! While we try to provide as much enrichment as possible in the shelter for the animals, it is also amazing for them to be able to spend time outside as well in a SAFE way.

A note from Ben:

"I’ve loved animals since a very young age, a lot of which came from my sister Meghan, who was the type to pick up snakes and toads in our backyard and give my mom a heart attack when Meghan would try and bring them home and keep them. I, similarly, had toads, fish, and eventually rats, which are adorable and get a really bad rep from movies. My parents never let me or Meghan get a dog or cat, however, citing “allergies” or “too much work” (by allergies, they meant my uncle we saw once a year 😉). Whenever I’ve visited friends' houses, though, I’ve always loved to play with their cats or dogs, and when I graduate, my first move (after the obligatory rebellious tattoos and piercings) is probably going to be getting a dog or cat. This love of animals is what inspired me to want to do something for the Humane Society, and when I asked, the Catio was the idea they provided that stood out to me the most. Thank you for your support!"

If you build a catio for your cats, please ensure they are up to date on vaccinations, flea and tick preventative, heartworm preventative, etc. Just because they can't access the outside world as easily, doesn't mean they aren't at risk! (All CCHS animals are kept up to date on vaccines and preventatives as well as regularly dewormed).

*Any funds not used for the catio will go to the CCHS general fund.

The Purrfect Place to Soak up Sun: The CCHS Catio