Children to build houses for stray cats in Rijeka

Those between the ages of 9 and 13 can attend workshops to learn how to work with wood

On 24 May, the Croatian City of Rijeka reported that its stray cats will soon have their own homes. More specifically, it revealed that children between the ages of 9 and 13 will have the opportunity to take part in ‘Spring and Summer in the Youth Centre’ workshops where they will build 15 wooden houses for the municipality’s stray animals.

Educating children and raising awareness

According to a press release, the construction and installation of the wooden structures will serve several purposes. First, it will shield the municipality’s street cats from severe weather conditions, natural disasters, and other dangers that threaten their wellbeing.

Second, it will promote children’s education by teaching them how to work with wood and build structures at a young age. Third, the houses will also make the city more attractive as the young carpenters will paint and decorate the wooden homes.

In addition, the project will raise awareness about the struggles of stray animals and encourage the municipality’s citizens to feel empathy for the street cats. Moreover, the project should also inspire residents to voluntarily take initiative and help improve the lives of the stray animals in their areas.

15 locations throughout Rijeka

Once the children have built the homes, the municipality will install them in 15 different locations. These include Stari Grad, Zamet, Trsat, Ratka Petrovića, Drenova, Krimeja, Krešimirova ulica, Bivio, and Vežica, among others.

The implementation of the project will reportedly cost a total of HRK 25,000 (more than EUR 3,300), with the City Health and Social Welfare Department providing HRK 20,000 (more than EUR 2,600) for the purchase of the necessary materials. The remainder will be provided by Rijeka’s Youth Centre, which will finance the salaries of the workshop leaders.