CHENNAI SHELTER
In 2008, Kiran Rao, a well-known animal lover, rescued a large number of cats who were in a very neglected state, and set up a shelter for them. Cattitude helped manage this shelter for Kiran until 2017 when it was decided that the Trust would completely take over this cat home and find support to carry it on. Dear Papamma is the resident caretaker, living on the premises with her two children and helping care for the animals, while young Rupanta completes the family with his efficient work and caring attitude. This is now a senior cat home with the average age of the inmates being around 10 years. Their vet is the unparalleled Dr Afzal of Doctor Cat Feline Speciality Clinic where they all receive the best medical assistance. Our cat home’s one objective is to provide the most humane environment possible within our means , where each cat’s individuality is respected and addressed and where our feline friends don’t just live out their lives safely and contentedly but with the confidence that they are loved and cared about. Our three honorary cats - Boomer, Wolfie and Joy are adorable and rambunctious and the fact that they once lived in fear and uncertainty is a distant dream.
PARASPARAM SHELTER
When a large family of cats that had made the grounds of Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai, their long-standing home were suddenly under threat of being thrown out and food sources cruelly cut off, one brave staff member fought relentlessly to save the cats, approaching many for help. When Vijayalakahmi Raghavan reached out to Devika Khazvini, the bond was instant, and the two set out on a mission to save the cats. Devika intervened with the authorities to buy time and protect the cats, while Viji worked to shift the cats to Parasparam Ashram, a small home for twenty-odd semi orphan girls in Batlagundu village at the foothills of Kodaikanal. Viji was Managing Trustee of Parasparam. What followed was grueling: terrified cats were rounded up, sterilised, housed in various places and shifted in batches by train, by Viji and her intrepid Manager Kalimuthu. Many cats did not survive; those who did were traumatised, the children of Parasparam were inexperienced in dealing with cats but put heart and soul into trying. It was then that Devika had just founded Cattitude and our first fundraiser was to build a proper cat shelter at Parasparam, Viji’s pride and joy! Soon things settled down and Parasparam became a haven for 36 cats and 12 dogs ( all rescued in Chennai ) with one of Viji’s dearest dreams coming true. But tragedy struck in 2007 when we suddenly lost our beloved Viji and we were left broken-hearted but resolved to carry on her work. From that day The Cattitude Trust has fully supported the Parasparam shelter and in fact, our donors have even sponsored trips and gifts for the girls over the years, raised funds to paint the entire orphanage once, and shown their kindness in many ways to both the animals and the humans of Parasparam. Over the years a few trips were made by volunteers, sick animals brought to Chennai, and three terminally ill kitties ended their days peacefully at our Chennai cat home.
One by one the dogs and many cats have left us and we are down to just 14 darling cats all cared for under the leadership of Kalimuthu, with his wife Kalai, Perumayee and some of the girls helping out.
Our dream is to one day find a larger space in Chennai where we can bring the remaining Parasparam cats so that they can live out their lives with access to better veterinary care and we can have all our beloved senior catizens under one roof.
