Credit: Special Arrangement
A new cat shelter opened in Yelachenahalli on Thursday.
The Praana Animal Foundation along with Tekion, an automotive retail tech company, have collaborated to start the Cat Rehabilitation and Adoption Centre.
Founders of Praana, Kannada actor Samyukta Hornad and animal rights activist, Aniruddha Ravindra, and Rana Robillard, chief people officer in Tekion are the people behind the Centre.
With a team of 15 animal caregivers, the nonprofit aims to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome cats found across the city, says Samyukta.
Ravindra says that Bengaluru houses many dog shelters but no proper cat shelters. The Foundation currently runs a comprehensive cat adoption programme, which will be taken forward by the new cat shelter. “Our Foundation owns five ambulances, which are available 24/7 and for free,” he adds.
The Foundation had 25 cats of which six recently got adopted, says Samyukta. She adds: “When someone drops a cat at our Foundation, our team checks its medical history, age and vaccination status, before providing it shelter.” After someone adopts a cat from the centre, the team visits its new home and asks for photographs of the cat and its surroundings. This is “to ensure the cat is comfortable and safe”, she adds.
Volunteers from Christ University and Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath painted cat-based murals at the new centre.
The Foundation plans to hold workshops and creative sessions to create awareness about street animals.