The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious achievement a Girl Scout can earn. Scouts must select a project based on a community issue they identify with and care about, then research and develop and plan, carry out the plan, and then share the results.

Girl Scout Reanne Troutman chose to focus her Gold Award Project on helping cats in our community.

Reanne said, “I chose Heritage Humane Society because I have adopted multiple cats from them and was aware that they were in constant need of supplies.”

She decided to devote her project to helping feral cats and cats going into foster homes. She wanted to provide the right supplies to these cats. Reanne ended up raising over $2,000 in two years by selling Girl Scout cookies. She then used the money to build 10 portable feral cat homes and 10 foster cat kits.

On December 23, 2020 Reanne dropped off the feral cat homes and foster kits to Heritage Humane Society. She gave a presentation to the staff at the shelter and her thorough research and understanding of the project were clear. 

The feral cat homes are insulated and filled with straw to keep that cats safe and warm during the winter months. She purchased all the supplies and then built the ten feral boxes with the help of her family.

Heritage Humane Society takes in many feral cats yearly, so these boxes will be put to great use. The HHS Career Cat Program helps cats that usually prefer minimal to no human contact and feel more comfortable in a “working” environment where they can patrol a barn, stable, farm, shed or even a warehouse. This program is a win-win for both the cats and adopters. The cats are spayed/neutered and vaccinated and then given the chance to enjoy safe outdoor homes, and the adopters receive natural pest control on their property.

When asked why she chose to build the feral bat boxes, Reanne said, “I built the feral cat boxes because I have seen strays and ferals out in town and I wanted to be able to give them something they could live in away from major businesses and homes, where they can be warm and safe. I learned that the stray/feral population is constantly growing and has become a problem in society that needed to be helped.”

She also put together 10 foster cat kits for the HHS foster volunteers taking cats/kittens home. Each kit includes: a collapsible cage, litter pan, playpen, weigh scale, bowls, cat toys, litter scoop, and laundry bag. Foster supplies are always in need at the shelter. In 2020, the HHS foster program helped 491 pets find foster homes. The kits that Reanne put together will help the foster volunteers have all the right tools and resources to properly care for homeless cats and kittens.