Education program offers lessons in feline love

Claire Halliday
Claire Halliday

The launch of a hands-on learning experience could be a purr-fect way to teach school students about the responsibilities of cat ownership and the role cats play as companions.

The Cat Protection Society of Victoria (CPSV) is calling on the next generation of feline-lovers to get involved with their Community Cat Crusader program, which aims to bring animal welfare education to classrooms and community groups and enable participants to understand the workings of a not-for-profit organisation.

After a successful trial campaign, CPSV is excited to extend this opportunity to all Victorian schools and
community groups from 2025, aiming to foster community connections and promote the benefits of
adopting and caring for cats.

CPSV Marketing and Communications Manager Rachel Bitzilis says the initiative is a great way for
educators to get young people excited and equipped to be responsible cat owners in the future.

“We know how important education is in creating lasting change, so why not start the process as early
as possible?”

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Raising awareness supports animal welfare

She told EducationDaily that the launch of the Community Cat Crusader Program at CPSV was “driven by our strong belief that educating the community is essential to promoting responsible cat ownership and raising awareness about the importance of cat containment and desexing”.

“We saw an opportunity to engage with the younger generation, fostering positive attitudes and responsible behaviours toward animals from an early age.”

Prior to the development of the program, Bitzilis says, ‘”schools had been reaching out to us on an ad-hoc basis for educational sessions, and the feedback was consistently positive”.

“This program formalised what we were already doing, making it accessible to schools across Victoria.”

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Improving pet care knowledge and education

Bitzilis says the CPSV “want to get more young people involved with rescue shelters and developing good habits for looking after pets at home or in their future”.

“We are providing a free online resource package for educators to use in sessions with their students and all resources can be tailored to any age group with clear links to the Victorian schooling curriculum,” she says.

“To help support learning, we’re also encouraging participants to consider incursions or excursions with
CPSV.

“Through our program, we’re prompting students to create their own age-appropriate promotional material with the knowledge they learn from us.”

CPSV Marketing and Communications Manager Rachel Bitzilis believea that equipping young people to be more responsible pet owners has a positive impact on the broader community.

Prompts for student-submitted materials may include anything from why cats make great pets, to the importance of desexing. CPSV welcomes a range of submission types to suit various schools’ teaching
formats, from posters and newsletters to short videos and persuasive writing pieces – the sky is
the limit.

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The initiative saw great success in Victoria’s Banyule and Nillumbik Councils of term three this year and now
invites schools across Victoria to join them in 2025.

“We had two primary schools, and one secondary school participate,” Bitzilis told EducationDaily.

“These schools accessed the free educational material provided through the Cat Crusader program. As part of their involvement, students from these schools developed age and stage-appropriate promotional material to showcase their learning and raise awareness about responsible cat ownership and animal welfare.”

Flexibility to align with curriculum and class needs

Learnings, she says, happened on both sides.

“One of the key learnings from the trial was the importance of offering the program year-round to give teachers the flexibility to implement it when it best aligns with their curriculum and class needs,” Bitzilis told EducationDaily.

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“We also recognised the need to promote the program well in advance to ensure it becomes part of teachers’ planning early (hence, the current focus on promoting for the 2025 school year). Additionally, we learned that providing teachers with the autonomy to decide how the program fits into their schedules was crucial. For instance, in one school, it was integrated into an enrichment program, while in another, it was an optional extracurricular project that students could opt into.”

Ultimately, Bitzilis says this program aims “to educate future generations on the responsibilities of pet ownership, particularly cat welfare”.

It also seeks to raise awareness of the issues surrounding cat overpopulation and the significance of cat containment.

“Additionally, the program aspires to give students a deeper understanding of how a not-for- profit organisation operates and the critical role the community plays in supporting its ongoing efforts,” she told EducationDaily.

“Through this program, we hope to foster a sense of responsibility, compassion, and involvement in addressing these important issues.”

This knowledge helps shape decisions on key cat welfare issues, with the program also aiming to foster the development of empathy towards animals – something that Bitzilis believes will help encourage positive behaviour and attitudes.

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“As students share their learnings with others, it contributes to a more compassionate and responsible approach to pet ownership across the community, ultimately improving the welfare of cats.”

Participating in the CPSV Community Cat Crusader Program offers schools and students numerous benefits:

  • Real-world learning experience: Students engage in meaningful projects that allow them to apply classroom knowledge in a practical, real-world setting.
  • Partnership with a not-for-profit organisation: By working closely with The Cat Protection Society of Victoria, students gain insights into animal welfare, the importance of responsible pet ownership, and how they can contribute to their community.
  • Excursion opportunities: Schools can organise trips to the CPSV facility, providing students a hands-on experience that reinforces their learning.
  • Engaging and enjoyable: The program is designed to be fun and interactive, sparking student interest and encouraging a deeper understanding of animal welfare issues.

Access to free content for classrooms

If schools join the CPSV Community Cat Crusader Program, Bitzilis told EducationDaily they can expect a range of engaging and educational opportunities for their students.

“By simply registering their interest via our website at Cat Protection Society, schools will gain automatic access to a free educational resource presented in Google Slides,” she says.

“This resource includes valuable educational content tailored to different year levels, along with examples of how students can demonstrate their learning. Additionally, schools will have access to extra free content that can be integrated into classroom activities.

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“They can also request an excursion to the CPSV Adoption Shelter, where students can learn firsthand about cat care and welfare or arrange for a CPSV team member to visit the school for an incursion, bringing the lessons directly to the students.”

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Claire Halliday has an extensive career as a full-time writer - across book publishing, copywriting, podcasting and feature journalism - for more than 25 years. She lives in Melbourne with children, two border collies and a grumpy Burmese cat. Contact: claire.halliday[at]brandx.live