Montessori school duo starts initiative helping stray cats

“I really wanted to help the feral cats here because they don’t get the stuff that they do in Italy,” Shilt said.

As part of a class project, Arthur and fellow student Paddu Ramadass started Cat Whiskerer, an organization that raises money and provides supplies and toys to feral cats, particularly those at nearby shelters.

“He saw how much they were protecting the cats and making sure they were healthy and strong,” Ramadass said. “He wanted to make sure that all around California that would happen too.”

The duo organizes fundraising events, like movie nights and scavenger hunts, to secure supplies and goods for the cats, then gives them to local shelters and rescues like Nine Lives Foundation, Homeless Cat Network and The Purrfect Catch.

Shilt and family now have two black cats of their own, Frankie and Gus, whose photos are also part of Cat Whiskerer’s deck of trading cards, another way the pair raises money.

Ramadass said she doesn’t have any pet cats at home — only an energetic dog — but the project has made her more interested in having one eventually. The project has also connected them with other community members that are passionate about taking care of feral, stray cats.

“On Nextdoor, we met a nice lady who feeds feral cats every night. She is part of a community that does that, and we got to drive around and see a lot of cats and help them,” Shilt said.

Shilt and Ramadass have presented to students and parents the importance of taking care of stray cats — providing statistics on how there are tens of millions of homeless cats in the United States, as well as the ecological impacts if they’re not well maintained and provided proper care. If cat colonies grow too large, for instance, the populations of the smaller animals that they prey on will decrease, in turn lessening the population of animals that keep insect populations at bay.

“I really think all cats, all pets and animals deserve a good life, so I was motivated to help these cats, and I think [this project] was a great idea,” Ramadass said.