FEATURE

All Together Now: Group Housing for Cats
Colony housing for cats is a hot trend in shelters, but without a good design and excellent disease control protocols, a group setup can be disastrous. Learn how to evaluate whether colony rooms are right for your organization—and how to plan and implement a design that’s comfortable and safe for cats, staff, and adopters alike.

DEPARTMENTS

The Front Lines

• A veterinarian recommends options for controlling the spread of coccidiosis in shelters
• The HSUS provides advice and blueprints for the design of small facilities
• Study finds retention rates are similar regardless of adoption location
• Older Americans Month provides an opportunity to raise awareness about animal cruelty and neglect
• In California, pets must now come with handbooks

Resources

• 105 Careers for Animal Lovers

ShelterSpeak
Members of The HSUS’s National Companion Animals Advisory Group discuss how the faltering economy has affected their operations.

In Practice
Good Samaritans who bring stray or injured animals to the shelter often want to know what’s happened to them once their holding periods have expired. Notifying citizens about the status of the animal they’ve helped is as easy as sending this simple postcard.

Perspective
Stephanie Shain, director of outreach for The HSUS’s Companion Animals section, explains why she no longer believes that “all dog breeders are pimps”—and why many may be helpful, secret allies of animal protectionists.