The Hide, Perch & Go box™ is an enrichment item used for cats in the shelter environment. The box helps to separate elimination, eating and sleeping areas and provides the opportunity for hiding, perching and face rubbing . All natural behaviours of a cat.

The box also provides more control over the amount of exposure to the shelter activity and allows a cat to self manage stress.

With use, the box becomes saturated with the cats scent, making the cage more familiar.

When cats are able to express natural behaviours, along with experiencing positive interaction with humans, they will adapt to shelter life faster, be healthier and friendlier. The benefits are increased adoptions with shorter pre- adoption time, reduced rates of illness and euthanasia and improvement of emotional health.

When a new family adopts a cat from the shelter and his Hide, Perch & Go box™ is converted to the temporary transport carrier and the family is given an initial Hide Perch & Go™ instruction leaflet (WELCOME HOME! Bonding With Your New Cat). This sheet helps a new family convert the box back to the hide and perch formation and provides information to make the shelter-to-new-home transition smoother. Having the box in the home is extremely helpful as it will be saturated with the cat’s scent. The cat will have something familiar around him and adapt more easily to a new home.

Having the new owners of a shelter cat follow these instructions will greatly assist in the transitioning of their new cat to their home.

Scenario 1
It is time to go to the vet, and suddenly Fluffy is nowhere in sight. You just brought the carrier out of the closet, and thought you saw Fluffy run into the bedroom. You peer underneath the bed and there she is hunched in the farthest corner hissing at you. Try as you might, you can't get her out, so you call the vet, make your apologies and reschedule the appointment.

Scenario 2
Shelter workers have all seen it many times. A cat is placed in a cage and immediately retreats to the litter box, sinking low and peering over the top with pupils fully dilated. The cat doesn't move until there is no one around when it leaves the litter box and tunnels under the newspaper lining the cage. In the morning, the cage is a complete mess with the litter box turned over and newspaper shredded. Kennel workers diligently tidy the cage so that it looks clean and neat for the potential adopters only to see the cat go back to hide in the litter box. The pattern repeats. This cat is experiencing poor welfare and unnecessary stress with a significant less chance of being adopted.

Research
Nadine Gourkow is the BC SPCA's Companion Animal Welfare Manager and a certified Companion Animal Behaviour Counselor.
In 2001, the University of British Columbia granted Nadine her masters for the thesis: "Factors affecting the welfare and adoption rate of cats in an animal shelter."
This research initiated the development of the Hide, Perch & Go Box™.

• Separates feeding, elimination and sleeping areas
• Provides opportunity for hiding, perching and face rubbing
• Provides more control over the amount of exposure to the shelter activity to facilitate self management of stress
• Enables the cat to saturate the cage with his/her own scent by face rubbing on the box, making t he cage more familiar.
• Transforms to a cat carrier upon adoption
• Reassembles after adoption for use as a hide and perch area in the guardian's home.

• Increased adoptions (by 30%)
• Shorter pre-adoption time (6 days compared to 13)
• Reduced rates of sickness and euthanasia (15% decrease in illness)
• Improvement of general welfare with daily monitoring of cats in the shelter by volunteers and staff.
• Increased satisfaction of adopters with having the Hide, Perch & Go Box™ for use in their home to transition their newly adopted cat.

• Veterinary Hospitals/Clinics Place in cage when for post surgery and holding.
• Pet Shops Place in cat holding enclosure and allow cats or kittens to climb over Hide, Perch & Go Box™. As each kitten is sold the Hide, Perch & Go™ is sold with the kitten and converted into the carrier. Once home the box is converted from the carrier application back to the Hide & Perch assembly to allow the smooth transition of the cat to the home. If more than one kitten is in the enclosure simply assemble another Hide, Perch & Go Box™ for the next kitten and so on.
• Catteries The Hide, Perch & Go Box™ can be used in two ways. When a cat is booked in the cattery asks the owner to call in an pick up a Hide, Perch & Go Box. The owner then assembles the HPG at home and allows their cat to mark the box with their scent. When its time for the cat to go to the cattery the HPG is converted into a carrier and used to transport the cat. Once at the cattery the HPG is then re-assembled into the Hide & Perch and placed with the cat in the enclosure. This provides the cat with a safe environment that its familiar with and therefore reduce stress for the cat during its stay. Advantages for a cattery is that the use of the Hide, Perch & Go reduces disinfecting of bedding etc.
• Breeders The Hide Perch & Go Box™ is ideal for use with newly born kittens and can be used in the important stages of transition the kitten to the home. It reduces stress and aids in allow the new kitten to adapt to its new home quickly and calmly.
• Welfare organizations. Developed by Nadine Gourkow of the BC SPCA studies have shown:
• Increased adoptions (by 30%)
• Shorter pre-adoption time (6 days compared to 13)
• Reduced rates of sickness and euthanasia (15% decrease in illness)
• Improvement of general welfare with daily monitoring of cats in the shelter by volunteers and staff.
• Increased satisfaction of adopters with having the Hide, Perch & Go Box™ for use in their home to transition their newly adopted cat.