How This Bengaluru-Based Couple Provide The Purrfect Haven For The City’s Kitties

By Prachi Singla:

Based in Bengaluru is a couple so devoted to animals that they set up a safe haven for the city’s cats!

I recently came across Vishanth Raghunath and his wife Osha’s ‘The Cat Studio by Furpurr’ on social media and realised how efforts that seem small truly make a big difference in the lives of many. Immensely hurt when they saw how stray and abandoned cats were treated in Bengaluru, Vishanth and Osha decided to be the change, which led to them setting up the cat studio. 31-year-old Vishanth is a retail marketing analytics consultant and Osha (28) also manages a dog adoption shelter in Bengaluru city.

Their main aim is to spread awareness about Indian cats, and the benefits of adopting them, and the responsibilities that come with adopting a cat.

The studio provides a safe space for stray and abandoned cats, and also acts as a platform to bring animal rescuers and adopters together. For animal lovers, it is an ‘experience zone’ where they can spend time with the cats. Those who love spending time with animals but cannot adopt can simply visit the studio and read, play, even take a nap with the cats! The studio is also equipped with wireless internet that makes the space suitable for working. It’s an alternate to working from home where you also have no chance of getting stressed with little kittens playing around.

Apart from spending some quality kitty-time, these cats are also up for adoption. But keeping the best interests of their feline wards in mind, Vishanth and Osha are very protective of who can and cannot interact with the animals. Since most of the cats at the studio have been rescued from extreme environments, they make sure that the next home they find is absolutely safe. They do not encourage impulsive adoptions and are very thorough while questioning potential adopters.

Even after the adoption, they keep a regular check to make sure that the animal is in safe hands.

Christina, one of the studio’s recent adopters, shared, “It’s an absolute stress buster to be able to play with the insanely adorable kittens. Thanks to The Cat Studio, my husband and I found our perfect baby.”

When young advertising professional Purna Lahiri heard about the studio, she convinced her dog loving husband Tarun to drop in with her for a visit. “We spent a good deal of time there, and there was this kitten – the tiniest of the lot – not much hair, all scruffy, mangy and cute – she came over on to my lap and slept off. When she came to, I put her on Tarun’s lap, and she was in heaven, loving the warmth, gently nipping his fingers and meowing happily through it all, not to mention the purring,” recalls Purna.

That’s it. They brought the little kitten home and named her Sundae, and since that day, they say that their lives have become brighter and happier with the kitten’s presence.

Seeing how much dedication it requires to take care of these abandoned animals, I couldn’t help but ask Vishanth and Osha how they managed full-time jobs and the studio. But the immense devotion which both of them show makes it clear that they wouldn’t have it any other way. They spend every free minute at the Furpurr studio, making sure that these adorable animals get the safe and loving environment they deserve.

Featured image source: Flickr.