Problem: In America alone, there is an estimate of 70 MILLION stray and feral cats. There are efforts to help this population of cats, such as TNR (trap-neuter-return) and adoption, but these resources cannot uphold the rising numbers of cats.

This is an identified issue because feral cats live a dangerous and short existence due to threats from fighting, disease, pregnancy, and human traffic. TNR has also been found to be a waste of time and monetary resources because enough cats are not being spayed or neutered.

Objective: How might we help community cats (stray and feral cats) without expecting more monetary and time resources from volunteers?

Mission Statement: Community Cats is a platform that helps stray and feral cats by activating communities. We value and recognize the volunteers who are attending to these cats. We aim to bring these people and their efforts to a focused, online, location. By doing so, we hope that more community cats will be assisted.

Process.

Before the course of this project, I had preliminary knowledge about community cats. I was aware of their existence and the care that community members provide them. 

To secure more information about cat volunteers and how they access their cats and community members, I shadowed a local cat colony organizer. I was informed that communication between other cat volunteers was not strong, which motivated the need for Community Cats. 

Logo.

Community Cats logo system.

App.

Users can communicate through direct messaging or group forums. The groups are created and organized by community members. Users can view potential groups based on their role in the cat community and their location.

The home page offers a social posting page and a cat log page. Users can communicate with a broader group of people through the social posting page. This page utilizes a sticker system so users can conveniently view missing and found cats. The cat log page is a database of stray and feral cats around users’ locations. This page features a map that allows users to view specific locations of cats in their neighborhood.

Users can sign up for events that community members have created and posted. Users can create their own events and post them for other users to see. Community events are 100% organized and run by community members. Community Cats acts as a platform for these events to be advertised.

Cat Ambassador Entry Package.

A cat ambassador is a community member that acts as a block captain representative for Community Cats. Users have the option to sign up through the Community Cats app during profile setup. This role includes informing the community about Community Cats. Cat ambassadors receive educational and engaging collateral through the mail and can disseminate it through their neighborhood.

The educational pamphlets are designed for community members who are not aware of stray and feral cats and cat volunteers. The pamphlets are meant to be disseminated through local cafes, post offices, and other local stores.

The QR Codes are designed as post-card advertisements. These can be handed out through community events, pinboards in local businesses, and different local stores.

The Community Cats house signs and stickers are engaging pieces of collateral that are included in the entry package. These pieces are intended to act as guerrilla marketing.

Community Events.

Community events are solely organized by community members. The Community Cats app helps to foster these events but is not directly involved. Users of the app can create events and fliers. These fliers can be exported as PDFs and printed so users can post them around their community.