Portugal
participants
The goal of this activity was to raise awareness to the importance of fostering animals, of giving them a safe, temporary home where they can grow and learn to socialize, and to the importance of adopting these animals.
This event took place at a cat café in Coimbra. International students were invited to spend a cozy afternoon at the café to spend time with cats from all ages up for adoption and to learn all about the importance of rescuing cats off the streets and of the trap-neuter-return method. The café owner kindly spoke with the International students about fostering cats, which involves giving them a temporary home and socializing them (especially if they come from the streets). She also taught the participants about the TNR method, which is a humane way of managing the population of street cats. Every cat at the café is up for responsible adoption, from kittens to older cats, and visitors can play with them and get to know them. The international students played with the cats in a dedicated area full of toys, and had a little snack at the café - some of this money directly contributes to the maintenance of the cat café, as vet bills and animal products are quite expensive.
Calling for Cuddles had a positive impact on the international students. Not only did they learn about fostering, TNR and about the importance of managing the problems arising from street animals, they also spent a calm, stress-free afternoon where they played with cats and kittens. Furthermore, their presence contributed to the space itself, as their entrance fee was a donation to the cat café.
