The Kryšpín Charitable Cat Association, which helps fund many cat shelters across Moravia, will mark International Cat Day this weekend with a fundraising bazaar at the Schrödinger Cat Café in Brno.
“This year, we are organizing the biggest celebration of this holiday in the Czech Republic on Saturday, 9 August,” said Lenka Němcová, chair of the Kryšpín Association. “Schrödinger Cat Café has offered us its facilities, for which we are very grateful.”
The annual bazaar will raise money for Kryšpín, which supports 18 Moravian shelters and approximately 2,000 abandoned cats, many of which have been mistreated in the past. Visitors can directly help stray felines by purchasing one of the many items on sale, for both cats and humans. The products at the bazaar are both new and second-hand, with some handmade by volunteers to be sold at the event.
These private efforts are essential, as municipal cat shelters are practically nonexistent in the Czech Republic, with no such facility in South Moravia.
“It’s surprising, because there are many times more abandoned cats than dogs, and they continue to multiply outside,” said Němcová. “The official capacity of the Regional Veterinary Administration of registered South Moravian shelters is 1,477 cats as of today. However, the majority of those places, 1,286, are offered by volunteers in cat associations without state aid.”
The event will be held in the café’s courtyard, with a program of activities including a cat show, a cat photo contest, and a cat quiz. In addition, the association will set up an exhibition of painted canvases of cats by Romana Štryncl at the Felidae Gallery, as well as another centered around cat jokes. At 1pm, the cafe will turn into a dating area for lonely cat lovers looking for a human companion.
The Cat Day with Kryšpín will take place at Kočkafé Schrödinger from 10 am to 5 pm.
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The Kryšpín charity cat association was founded in Brno during the COVID pandemic and currently supports 17 Moravian cat shelters via public fundraising, charity auctions and benefit events. The association is seeking 834 regular donors of 100 crowns per month.
Kryšpín’s transparent account number is 2501927911/2010.
