SINGAPORE - Animal welfare group Cat Welfare Society (CWS) will be launching its first online store on Sunday (Feb 3), in a move to boost the small outfit's fund-raising efforts.
The Cat Mama Shop store has a small collection of items for cats and cat lovers alike.
There are accessories for cats such as stuffed mice ($3), as well as cat care items such as supplements and deworming treatments.
There is also a range of cat-themed items such as a floor mat with a printed cat on it ($15), cat-themed tote bags ($15) and socks with cat motifs ($5).
CWS also has its own scratching furniture for cats ($55), made in collaboration with Bangkok feline furniture designer brand Kafbo.
All profits from the store fund CWS' efforts to help community cats.
These include sterilising cats as well as funding the work of its employees who mediate cases where residents complain about cats and look into cat abuse cases.
Last year, 276 cats were adopted through CWS. The group handles about 2,400 mediation cases yearly, referred to the non-governmental organisation (NGO) by town councils, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), the Housing Board and members of the public.
CWS also has its own scratching furniture for cats ($55), made with Bangkok feline furniture designer brand Kafbo. PHOTO: CAT MAMA
The NGO was founded in 1999 by a small group of friends in response to a newspaper article about cat abuse.
Today, it has two full-time employees, one part-time staff member, more than 100 fostering volunteers and rescuers and it assists more than a thousand caregivers on the ground who form its support network.
CWS executive director Laura Ann Meranda told The Straits Times that CWS has been selling merchandise at its events for several years now but never had the capacity to take it online.
"In the past year, we had a couple of new volunteers come in who lent their expertise and time to go online," she said.
" Having our own site was the natural next step. With merchandise sales we can help supplement the donations and increase the assistance provided to caregivers and rescuers."
Merchandise sales make up about 10 per cent of what CWS makes every year, she added.
" It's not a big sum, but all the revenue will let us help sterilise more cats and have more resources for mediation and advocacy. To us, every dollar counts for the cats."
CWS collaborated with local creative agency Goodstuph in creating the Cat Mama logo, and is open to more collaborations on sales or designs for cat-themed items. Those interested may e-mail them at merchandise@catwelfare.org.
The store is offering a 25 per cent discount on calendars and its in-house Society Of Cats photobook for its opening, under the discount code "catmama".
