Problem: It is estimated there are 100 million outdoor cats in the US. Outdoor cats have an average life expectancy of two to five years, compared to indoor cats, who can live to 15 years or longer.

Solution: People are already walking and taking pictures of cats! We can crowdsource these cat locations to catalog all the outdoor cats. We can then provide them with better care and support to get as many into foster and indoor-only homes as possible. We can also better monitor the colony locations to see if any cats in an area are going missing more often.

Problem: It is estimated that 1/3 of US households own indoor cats. Approximately 55% of indoor cats will go missing at least once in their lifetime, yet only 1/3 of shelter strays are united with an owner. The missing pets system shelters use is decentralized and unorganized. If you don’t have a working microchip in your cat, they might have been found, but you might not know it. 

Solution: People are already walking and taking pictures of cats, but few people are actually looking for missing cats. Our lost pets feature can use facial recognition and cross-reference cat pictures to find cats that have been reported missing. That way, you can help find missing cats while you’re out walking, even when you aren’t looking for them!

Problem: The rescue community needs help. We need funding, supplies, volunteers, fosters, and adopters, just to name a few. We also need more people with new ideas to help us solve long-standing global and local challenges. Casual cat lovers are usually more than happy to help by donating extra supplies and supporting their local shelter, when its convenient. 

Solution: Whisker Waze will bridge the gap between casual cat lovers and the rescue community. By tying our interests together–taking pictures of cute outdoor kitties–we can establish a relationship and develop a community of new supporters. Our community feature will connect people who love cats with people who need support with cats in a convenient and mutually beneficial way. 

Together we can catalog all the world’s outdoor cats and save them all! Plus, cat pictures are super cute 🙂