UW student hosts cat yoga fundraiser

We’ve all heard of yoga with goats. Now you can try yoga with kittens. “I just love cats,” Taylor Damaren said. So when she was trying to think of an idea for a fundraiser, the concept of mixing relaxing yoga moves with the sweet little purrs of cuddly kittens seemed too hard to resist.

“I read about cat yoga in Alberta and I thought it would be something fun and exciting to try,” she said.

Damaren will host two sessions of yoga with kittens in Waterloo this Saturday. The ticket sales will raise money for the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society and Waterloo Wellington’s Here 24-7 Mental Health Crisis Line.

“Animal interaction yoga is really big right now,” Damaren points out.

But her idea isn’t just for the fun of trying something new. Damaren is passionate about mental health advocacy.

As a social development studies student at University of Waterloo, Damaren has aspirations for a career in social work.

This fundraiser is one way she can raise money and spread awareness for a cause that is important to her.

“Animals are also great for anxiety and mental health and so is yoga, so it seemed like a perfect fit,” she said.

The humane society will offer up three fuzzy kittens to Damaren’s yoga classes. They will all be up for adoption.

She said they decided to stick with kittens because older cats tend to get stressed out in new and foreign spaces.

Damaren had hoped for more than just three kittens but there are only three available for adoption right now.

“That’s good news for the humane society,” she pointed out.

Studio space at Hepcat Swing Dance Studio and the yoga instructor’s time will both be donated for the cause.

Tickets are $30 each and selling fast. Visit the event website at www.eventbrite.ca/e/dont-stress-meowt-tickets-36989652045 to purchase tickets.

“Don’t stress meowt” Cat yoga is at Hepcat Swing Dance Studio at 42 Erb St. E. in Waterloo.

The first session is from 1 to 2 p.m. and the second session is from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

All proceeds will be split between the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society and Waterloo Wellington’s Here 24-7 Mental Health Crisis Line.