Commuters greeted with pictures of homeless felines
Dozens of adverts at a London underground station have been replaced with pictures of cats.
In total, 68 cat photos have replaced adverts at Clapham Common underground station - many of which are from rescue charities.
For the next two weeks, commuters will also pass through ticket barriers rebranded as 'catflaps'.
The project is the brainchild of Glimpse, a new collective which aims to use creativity for good.
“We tried to imagine a world where public spaces made you feel good. We hope people will enjoy being in the station and maybe think a bit differently about the world around them," said project organiser James Turner.
“Instead of asking you to buy something, we’re asking you to think about what’s really valuable in your life. It might not be cats, but it’s probably something you can’t find in the shops."
The Citizens Advice Takeover Service (CATS) replaced the adverts after raising over £23,000 on Kickstarter. Glimpse are already planning their next project and are inviting people to submit entries at CatsNotAds.org.
Most of the cats featured in the current takeover are from Cats Protection, the UK’s largest feline charity, and some are from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
“We are really pleased to have partnered with the Citizens Advertising Takeover Service to get posters of cats on the Clapham Common tube," said Guy Chadwick, development manager of Cats Protection.
“Cats Protection has more than 5,000 unwanted cats in its care across the UK so placing pictures of cats in an underground station with such high footfall is a great way to remind people of the benefits of adopting a rescue cat."
Battersea’s head of catteries, Lindsey Quinlan added: “We’re thrilled that Battersea cats are among the stars of these posters. We care for over 3,000 rescue cats a year, so hopefully this campaign will encourage lots more people to visit our centres and consider rehoming our fantastic felines.”
Image (C) Glimpse
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
