Action

Chaos during the early stages of the great transformation.

New walls and floors gradually appear.

At this stage, it was difficult to imagine that it would ever be finished.

Yes, it's starting to look like it. The volunteers are all excited.

Well, almost? After all the hard work the volunteers can start with the fun stuff: preparing the rooms for their inhabitants, using toys, poles and what not.

Outside, a carpenter puts the finishing touches to the new, improved Cat Boat. And then it was finished. If you would like to see results, you are welcome to visit us.

 Foundation the Poezenboot (catboat) has two boats for the shelter of cats. After the big rebuilding of the catboat at Singel no. 40, we now want to do the 2nd boat.

But before doing so, it was better to first have the license for the boat in order.

This boat has been tolerated for about 30 years now, but didn't have an official license. September the 18th, we heard from the city district Centre that we're not going to get that license, even worse, the boat must permanently disappear. And of course we don't want that to happen. The reason they want to get rid of the 2nd boat are:
1. cats are not bound to the water;
2. that the boat has been tolerated for the last 30 years is no reason to give a license.
3. It would establish a precedent if they give the license
4. the boat does not really count as a tourist attraction.
The last three reasons we firmly do not agree with.

The boat is intended to give shelter to cats in need; with urgent admissions, as a sick-bay. With temporary admissions, for example, to sterilize outdoor cats run wild, give shelter to cats whose owners for instance have to go to a home for elderly people, a clinic or a hospital or because they're evicted from their house.Cats that otherwise may end up on the streets. We can provide help, but not without our 2nd boat. Now we already have to refuse cats simply because we don't have room for them or because we are not allowed to take them in temporarily. The boat is also used as a storage place, for food or medicine etc.

We've got time until november 29th to change the mind of city district Amsterdam centrum and the management of inland water, we desperately need your help with that. Or better said, your help is essential, because without your help the second boat will disappear. Other than the Catboat there is only one shelter in Amsterdam (except in North Amsterdam, but they only work in that area of the city). While there is an enormous number of cats that need shelter. To give you an idea: the last 2 years we were able to give more than 540 cats a new home. We want to help even more cats. We hope we will be able to do that with your help.
What you can do is very simple: write us a letter or send us an e-mail and call the city district Amsterdam Centre, the management of inland water, the Mayor, political parties and let them know that you want to keep the second catboat. If you have any other ideas about actions or anything that can help us, please let us know. Call us: 020-6258794 of 0644774786. We have little time, so we must do something now.

Please help us, it's now or never more !!

UPDATE: Unfortunately we lost our boat. Thanks for all your sympathy.