Studies show that spending time around animals greatly improves your mental health. Whether they’re a registered emotional support animal or your childhood pet, spending time around feline friends can prove to have many benefits, such as decreased cortisol levels and a sense of purpose that comes with caring for another living thing. 

Cats can even help you with your homework. As most KCC students know, Service Learning is a required class for all degree programs. What if you could fulfill this credit by spending time with cats all day, and possibly even meet one to take home yourself?

Companion Cats, located at 29 Hoag Street in Battle Creek, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization made up exclusively of volunteers and funded through donations. Treasurer Janie Kelly puts it simply: “Our mission is to reduce the overpopulation, homelessness and suffering of ‘unowned’ cats.”

You heard that right – nobody is getting paid at Companion Cats. It is run entirely by volunteers who care deeply about the well-being of animals, and the organization’s biggest challenge is a lack of people willing or able to do the job. 

They will tell you right off the bat that it can be dirty work – cleaning up after over 80 cats isn’t always pretty, and a volunteer’s main job will be physical tasks like sweeping/mopping, cleaning cages, or scooping litter boxes. However, knowing that you are helping to improve the lives of so many living creatures makes the job more than worth it – that’s what I found when I chose Companion Cats as my own Service Learning field placement. 

Even if you aren’t able to make the time to volunteer in person, there are other things you can do to help. According to Kelly, a few of the main challenges the organization faces other than a lack of volunteers are the sheer number of cats in their care and the financial burden of taking good care of all of them. 

Companion Cats hosts open adoption hours most Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Here you can meet and interact with all different kinds of cats – whether you want a lap cat or one that gets along with kids or other animals, there is no doubt that they will have a perfect match for you. Lowering the number of cats staying at the shelter means not only that more cats find their forever homes, but there is more time, money, and resources for the cats still there. 

You can also greatly help the organization through donations. According to their website, these are some of the things they need most: 

  • Cat food and kitten food, both hard and soft (Purina Cat Chow or Kitten Chow)
  • Soft/wet cat and kitten food (helps put weight back on strays)
  • Kitten replacement milk
  • Scoopable cat litter and clay cat litter
  • Cleaning supplies: bleach, paper towels, laundry soap, OdoBan, etc.
  • Monetary gifts for medical care such as spaying/neutering, vaccinations and preventive medical care (e.g., flea & tick preventative/treatment, ear mites treatment, antibiotics, deworming medications, etc.)

All kinds of cats need our help right here in Battle Creek – let them help you get your degree by helping them stay healthy and happy while they wait for their forever homes. 

You can learn more about Companion Cats, apply to volunteer, or learn how to adopt a cat at https://www.companioncats.com/. You can also find Companion Cats on Facebook here.