By JESSICA ROSS
Kitten adoptions are soaring with the help of an interactive, web-based pet toy implemented into adoption centers.
Shelters have seen up to an 18 percent increase in kitten adoptions, and up to 295 percent increase in sponsorships, according to the iPet Companion website thanks to the newly added toys.
Reach- In technology is an online application that allows users to visually and robotically interact in real time with pet shelters around the country. The web-based toy technology allows prospective pet owners to see the available kittens in the shelter and play with them through the use of these interactive toys.
“Overall, there seems to be a dramatic increase in the use of social media to help nonprofits reach their goals. I think the kitten cam, and things like it, can be very helpful for animal shelters to reach large audiences,” said Cara Minogue, an adoption counselor at St. Huberts.
As of now, there are ten shelters across the United States that have integrated these new toys into their shelters. The shelters include Oregon Humane Society, Idaho Humane Society, Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obispo, California, Humane Society of Dallas County, Dallas Texas, Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Humane Society of South Mississippi. Pawmetto Lifeline South Carolina, Humane Society of Pinellas Clearwater Florida, Escondido Humane Society California, and the Pennsylvania SPCA. The interactive toys help potential owners see what kittens and cats are available for adoption.
How it Works
Visit one of the 10 playrooms by clicking on “enter live playrooms” under the “play live now” tab. Next, choose which shelter to visit. After choosing the shelter the user wants to visit, click the orange paw and wait your turn. Depending on how long the wait is, the user will either be able to play right away, or have to wait a few minutes. Make sure to look above the video window because this will show how long the estimated wait time is. Lastly, once the user is in, use the mouse to control the view of the room. Users have the ability to click up, down, left, right by using the directional arrows provided. Users also have the ability to zoom in and out, which helps if they want to take a picture of the kittens playing.
What People are Saying
According to the Live Chat box on the website, viewers love being able to play with the cats and kittens. Some viewers claim they are going to adopt one right that moment, and others love knowing the shelter is cleaned and the cats and kittens are cared for.
“I can see how something like this can benefit both the animals and the shelter. It gives the shelter exposure and allows people who may be interested in adopting a chance to play with the animals beforehand,” said Kathryn Smith, a Hampton, New Hampshire resident.
Feedback such as this is what raises adoption rates as well as brings awareness to the shelters participating in the interactive toys.
Live Kitten Cam Grabs Attention
St. Huberts Animal Welfare Center in Madison, N.J. has a live kitten cam every Tuesday (streaming from Madison) and Thursday (streaming from North Branch) from 2-4 pm. As of right now they do not have the iPet Companion interactive toys, but viewers are able to see adoptable kittens play. Through the kitten cam website, viewers are able to make a donation to St. Huberts as well. Minogue says the kitten cam is bringing in more adopters than ever.
Minogue explains that certain types of cats/kittens are often over looked. For example, black cats/kittens have an especially hard time getting adopted because people associate black cats with bad luck. She goes on to explain that the kitten cam offers the public a way to see an animals personality, helping them get over the breed/color stereotypes.
“I think that’d be highly entertaining and a very good strategy for getting the animals some play time, but I could see it going wrong with random people possibly causing harm to the animals,” Holley Mihok, a resident of Long Valley, New Jersey said.
Minogue believes that the kitten cam is a great way to reach out to the public. But she also believes that it needs to be done in moderation. According to Minogue, St. Huberts limits how many times a week and how long they tape for the kitten cam because they do not want to over stimulate the animals.
Other Perks
Being able to see available cats and kittens up for adoption is doing the shelters wonders, but it is also providing people who are unable to physically go to the shelters a sense of joy.
“The kitten cam has helped with adoptions because it allows the public to interact more with the animals, even if they do not necessarily have the time to physically stop by.” Minogue explained. “Someone might watch the videos during a coffee break at work and share it with friends/family, leading to more adoptions or potential volunteers.”
Jess, I really enjoyed your story. This new technology is so awesome and such a great idea for adoption. It was good that you brought both the positives and the negatives to the i-reach. But, I think that you could move the Current Shelters with iPet Companion Installed section down at the bottom; it is kind of distracting in the middle of the piece because it isn’t written content. It might be more effective at the bottom of the piece so people can remember where to go to use it.
Jess,
Your column had a lot of information and was very informative. One suggestion for your “what people are saying section” is to maybe reword your first sentence, “There is not a negative comment when it comes to implementing web-based toys into animal shelters.” This gives a false sense that there have been absolutely no negative comments at all about the toy, when there might have been but you have not reported on.
Also, for your last subhead, I recommend choosing something other than “in conclusion,” or even deleting the subhead entirely. The section is pretty small, and it’s not formal essay style. In an article, we never have to tell the reader that it’s coming to an end.