How a cat rescue worker made an internet splash with her ‘CatVana’ adoption campaign

The Carvana has marketed itself as a new and innovative way to buy a car. What if I took that idea and made it work to adopt a pet?

Kayla Delcoure runs social media for Pippi’s Place, an Atlanta cat rescue. she She created a creative social post inspired by the online used car retailer to help cats find new homes.

Among those willing to adopt are a “2014 Furari” named Arliss (black exterior, power nap) and a “2015 Forcedis” named Buddy (custom gray saddle set, seat heater) and Cassie, a “2022 Meowzda” (custom multicolored exterior, self-cleaning).

It all started with a search for a truck

“My inspiration for Katfana was devoid of hilarious events,” Delcoure wrote on NPR in an email. “My husband has been wanting to buy a truck for months, and sometimes he brings me his phone to show me the menus. On a Tuesday morning while I was thinking of cute ways to display all nine cats available at Pippi’s Place in one post, my husband walked over to my office to show me a list of trucks.”

Although Delcoure wasn’t too interested in the truck, a photo with detailed information on the year, model, and model got her creative wheels spinning.

She said she pulled the Carvana website and built a page with multiple lists of cats from the car search. “Various amusing descriptions kept popping into my head, like ‘four-wheel drive’, ‘rear air vent’, and the rest of those descriptions, so I went ahead and made the individual listings as well,” wrote Delcour.

Pippi’s Place started 2 years ago and it is now It is named after the black kitten of director Vicki Grizzard, who found it abandoned and needed help. She named her Pippi, after mischievous book character.

Sadly, Pippi the cat died after an accident, but Pippi’s Place lives on as her legacy. It is a place “where the light of love always shines upon our loved ones and serves as a beacon for those in need,” Delcor NPR says.

Cat season keeps volunteers very busy

“Right now, we’re working during cat season, so we have a large number of kittens that aren’t adoptable, and some have illnesses and injuries that need to be treated before they go to warmer homes,” Delecour said. “Our volunteers are literally working around the clock (every four hours) to take care of these cats.”

Grizzard thought Katavana’s social engagement was great. Delcoure shared the post on Reddit, where it has 65,000 votes and more than 1,500 comments. Grizzard and Delecourt were both stunned by the response.

“We’ve had an outpouring of encouragement. People are even asking for a donation,” Delcourt says. The organization has received an application to adopt “Furrari” Arlis, a sweet and elderly cat, from a family in Canada. “They are willing to go through the adoption and transfer process to bring him back home! ”

Delcoure says her favorite ad is for Mr. Goodbar, “Mini Pooper 2023.”

“His catalog was the last catalog I needed to create and I knew I wanted it to be something cool and true to his size,” she said. “I happen to own and adore a Mini Cooper and realized the ‘small’ part fit him perfectly, so that’s what I went for!”

Delcoure said the volunteers who keep Pippi’s Place running and make sure all the kittens find homes deserve all the credit.

“We have even more volunteers who work countless hours and give their blood, sweat, and tears for these cats,” she wrote. “I wouldn’t have had anything to post if they hadn’t done such an amazing job taking care of our kittens.”