The number of cat owners has surpassed dog owners, leading to an unprecedented "cat boom."

Poponeko has been receiving a continuous stream of adorable cat photos from owners. Their loving expressions truly show how happy they are.

Among these, we've received many stories like "This is the first collar for a stray cat I picked up" and "I became a foster parent for a rescue cat."

It makes us pause and think, "What if these cats hadn't met their owners?"

Sadly, they might have been euthanized, and we wouldn't have been able to make collars for them. Despite the cat boom, there are still many cats abandoned or euthanized due to human circumstances.

What can we, who deal in cat goods, do about this? With that in mind, Poponeko has decided to donate a portion of our sales to organizations working to achieve zero euthanasia for cats.

As a small online shop run by a husband and wife, it's difficult for us to directly participate in cat rescue activities. However, we can contribute to achieving zero euthanasia for cats in our own way.

"More smiles in cats' lives." Poponeko supports community cat activities and rescue cat activities so that as many cats as possible can live happily.

Among the many animal welfare organizations, Poponeko agrees with and continuously supports the activities of the "Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Doubutsu Kikin" (Animal Fund).

As part of its "Sakura Cat Free Spay/Neuter Program," the Animal Fund distributes vouchers for free spay/neuter surgeries. This initiative aims to solve the problem of stray cats not through "euthanasia" but through "spaying/neutering," in cooperation with organizations and individuals involved in rescue and community cat activities.

Did you know that over 30,000 cats are euthanized in Japan each year, and more than half of them are kittens?

*According to the Ministry of the Environment's "Status of Dog and Cat Impoundment, Injured Animal Sheltering, and Disposal (FY2018)"

Cats are highly reproductive animals and can have many offspring. If left unchecked, stray cat populations will grow rapidly, leading to issues such as noise and waste problems. Tragically, this can result in euthanasia.

To eliminate cat euthanasia, the first step is to prevent excessive breeding. It is crucial to spay and neuter stray cats to prevent the birth of unwanted kittens.

The practice of trapping stray cats, sterilizing them, returning them to their original location, and monitoring them is called TNR. Cats that have undergone sterilization are known as "community cats."

These community cat activities are carried out by volunteers, but they require significant time and money. Saving the lives of cats requires a great deal of support.