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P.O. Box 950
Trexlertown, PA 18087
(610) 967-9097
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Teen Service Projects

The Cat Shack, Inc. has received a number of requests from younger individuals to volunteer to earn hours towards a school or church service project requirement. Included here are a few ideas for projects which would greatly benefit our organization.

The first ideas listed are for drives to collect cat food and supplies.  The second set of ideas is to create cat toys to be sold at different events by TCS, with proceeds to benefit our group.

Volunteer Sign-Up Information
  • Volunteers must fill out a volunteer application. If the volunteer is under the age of 18, the form must also be signed by a parent or guardian.
  • An invitation to our web site will be sent to the email address provided on the application.
  • Logging and tracking of volunteer hours can be done by going to "My Rescue" and scrolling down to find volunteer hours.
If written verification of service hours performed is required, contact The Cat Shack at catshack@ptd.net, and include the name and address to whom the information is to be sent.

Cat Food Supply Drive To Benefit The Cat Shack, Inc.

Objective
To solicit and obtain cat care supplies needed by The Cat Shack, Inc.

Method:
  • Set a date for handing out flyers soliciting donations.
  • The Cat Shack, Inc. does not promote going door to door as there are safety issues involved and also different municipalities have permit requirements for such actions.
  • Recommended places to hand out flyers include:
    • Church
    • School
    • Club gatherings
    • Service organizations
    • Places of employment
  • A volunteer should present people with a flyer listing needed supplies and ask that such items be brought to the next regular gathering of the group.
  • At the collection date and place, the volunteer will be present to accept the item(s) and thank the donor for their generosity.
  • Additionally, the volunteer should have on hand some information regarding upcoming adoption events for The Cat Shack, Inc., Spay/Neuter clinic news and copies of our newsletters.
Items to be requested:
  • Canned Cat Food
  • Scoopable Cat Litter
  • Cat treats
  • Cat toys
Benefits:
  • The Cat Shack, Inc. receives donations of items necessary to continue to keep cats in our program healthy and happy.
  • Volunteers accrue required volunteer/community service hours. Hours should be tracked Here.
The Cat Shack, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. Our goal is to help reduce the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable cats, to reduce the cruelty to and neglect of cats and to educate the general public in cat related issues.

Cat Food Supply Drive (Done at a Retail Store) To Benefit The Cat Shack, Inc.

Objective:
To solicit and obtain cat care supplies needed by The Cat Shack, Inc.

Method:
  • Obtain permission from a retail store to set up a table and display at the store entrance.
  • When a customer enters the store, a volunteer will present them with a flyer listing needed supplies and ask that while making their purchases at the store, they consider purchasing a few items from the list provided.
  • Upon exiting, if a customer has purchased an item to donate to The Cat Shack, Inc., a volunteer will be present to accept the item(s) and thank the donor for their generosity.
  • On the table at the entrance/exit, there will also be a jar for monetary donations, most likely small change the customer received after making their purchase.
  • Additionally, the table will have some information regarding upcoming adoption events for The Cat Shack, Inc., Spay/Neuter clinic news and copies of our newsletters.
Items to be requested:
  • Canned Cat Food
  • Scoopable Cat Litter
  • Cat treats
  • Cat toys
Supply List for Canned Cat Food and Cat Supply Drive at a Store:
  • Collection bin for items donated
  • Donation jar, decorated with signs for TCS, and asking for loose change
  • Flyers with list of items
  • Various copies of handouts, such as:
  • TCS mission statement
  • Newsletters
  • Schedule of upcoming events
  • List of available cats, or pictures and stories of a few "featured pets"
  • Info about adoption center at Pet Smart
  • Here is an example of a form that can be used for a drive at a retail store
Benefits:
  • The Cat Shack, Inc. receives donations of items necessary to continue to keep cats in our program healthy and happy.
  • The retail outlet gains additional sales from items purchased on behalf of The Cat Shack, Inc., as such items would likely not have been purchased were it not for the request of the volunteer.
The Cat Shack, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. Our goal is to help reduce the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable cats, to reduce the cruelty to and neglect of cats and to educate the general public in cat related issues.

The Cat Shack, Inc. Cat Toy Project

The Cat Shack, Inc. needs homemade cat toys, gifts, etc to sell at various pet expos. The money generated from the sale of these items helps us toward our goal to help reduce the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable cats, to reduce the cruelty to and neglect of cats and to educate the general public in cat related issues.

A quick internet search turned up the following ideas:
  • http://www.pusscats.com/Cat_Toys.htm
  • http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/612227/how_to_make_homemade_toys_for_kittens.html?page=2
  • Simple Homemade Teaser Toy for Kittens
    1. Create a teaser toy with one eight of an inch in diameter dowel rod at least twelve inches in length, clear heavy fishing line, feathers, superglue, and an electric drill with bit of appropriate size for drilling a hole through the end of the dowel rod.
    2. Begin by drilling a small hole in the end of a dowel rod, and cut off about two feet of heavy-weight clear fishing line. Securely tie one end of the fishing line through the hole in the dowel rod, and secure the knot with super glue.
    3. Lastly, tie a few craft feathers to the end of the fishing line, and secure the knot with super glue. Allow the glue to dry completely.
  • Homemade Kitten Glove
    1. Securely sew a large pompom to the tip of each finger of the glove using heavy upholstery thread. Your kitten will love this fun homemade toy, and you can wiggle your fingers, and make them walk across the floor and sneak around corners for hours of pouncing, pretending, and playing.
  • Homemade Milk Ring Toy for Kittens
    1. Collect several milk cap rings, and securely tie them together with yarn. Tie a set of milk rings to a long piece of yarn, or toss them onto the floor.
    2. This is a free homemade toy that your kitten will definitely love, and he'll gain many hours of play from these simple items you'd otherwise throw away.
  • Happy Cat Candy in toy and crochet.

I had been thinking about making toys for a while now and had been doing some research on the way the cats see and interact with the world. Cats do not see colors the same as people. Contrast and pattern are more important so I picked colors that contrasted with each other. I read that acrylic yarn taste bad to cats from some website of unknown credentials. But the idea stuck in my head and I have noticed that the cats only run off with wool and cotton. So they get cotton toys because it is so durable. Oh and the cats love to move there toys around so I topped it all off some monk cords on each end. The cats seem to love them. I am sure that catnip stuffing has something to do with it too

Here is a free pattern to help out.

Materials

  1. Small amount of two colors of cotton sport weight yarn (the photo are shown with saucy sport yarn and sinfonia)
  2. Size c crochet hook, or the smallest size hook you can use with your yarn (you want the stitches to be very tight so the cat nip does not fall out)
  3. Yarn needle
  4. Cotton balls
  5. Catnip
Instructions:
  1. Ball:
    • Rnd 1. In MC tie a split knot around your crochet hook leaving a 10-inch tail. Wrap the tail end of the yarn around 2 fingers directly below the hook to form two large loops. SC 6 times through both loops placing a marker in the last ST. Pull both loops tight. These 6 stitches are your first round.
    • Rnd 2. Join with cc, sc twice in each st replace maker in last stitch throughout the pattern (12 sts).
    • Rnd 3. Pick up mc again and *sc, sc twice in same st rep from * to end (18 sts).
    • Rnd 4. Pick up cc again and *sc in next 2 sts, sc twice in same st rep from * to end (24 sts).
    • Rnd 5. Pick up mc again and *sc in next 3 sts, sc twice in same st repeat from * to end (30 sts).
    • Rnd 6. Pick up cc, sc around (30 sts).
    • Rnd 7. Pick up mc, sc around (30 sts).
    • Rnd 8. Pick up cc, sc around (30 sts).
    • Rnd 9. Pick up mc, *sc in next 3 sts, dec 1 rep from * to end (24 sts).
    • Rnd 10. Pick up cc, *sc in next 2 sts, dec 1 rep from * to end (18 sts).
    • Rnd 11. Pick up mc, *sc in next st, dec 1 rep from * to end (12 sts). At this point stuff the toy with a 50/50 mix of cotton balls and catnip.
    • Rnd 12. Pick up cc, *dec 1 rep from * to end (6 sts). Break yarn leaving a 6 inch tail. With yarn needle weave in tail trough tops of the sts twice, pull tight to close ball.
  2. Pill:
    • Rnd 1. In MC tie a split knot around your crochet hook leaving a 10-inch tail. Wrap the tail end of the yarn around 2 fingers directly below the hook to form two large loops. SC 6 times through both loops placing a marker in the last ST. Pull both loops tight. These 6 stitches are your first round.
    • Rnd 2. Join with cc, sc twice in each st replace maker in last stitch throughout the pattern (12 sts).
    • Rnd 3. Pick up mc again and *sc, sc twice in same st rep from * to end (18 sts).
    • Rnd 4-13. Alternating cc and mc, sc around (18 sts).
    • Rnd 14. Pick up mc, *sc in next st, dec 1 rep from * to end (12 sts). At this point stuff the toy with a 50/50 mix of cotton balls and catnip.
    • Rnd 15. Pick up cc, *dec 1 rep from * to end (6 sts). Break yarn leaving a 6 inch tail. With yarn needle weave in tail trough tops of the sts twice, pull tight to close ball.
  3. Monk's Cord Ends:
    • Cut off 2 8" pieces of yarn in mc and cc for each toy. Take 1 piece of each color, hold them together and fold in half to form loop. With crochet hook pull loop trough a stitch on ending row of toy.
    • Hold one end of the yarn loop and twist the other end until it begins to fold in on itself. Not letting go of the twist, fold yarn so the ends touch. Your yarn should wrap around itself and make a pretty cord, if not try again this time twist more.
    • Tie the ends together so the twist stays then cut so the ends are even. If necessary move the body of the toy around on the cord so it is at the end. Repeat the process for the other side of the cat toy.

Try stuffing some Catnip inside for a rocking kitty playtime. You don't see a lot of free patterns out there for cat toys so this is a nice treat!