Earlier this year, Urban Scientists based in our Mexico City office participated in Gato Fest 2023, an event organized by Mexico City’s El Gato Vago shelter to raise awareness of the thousands of abandoned and feral cats and kittens in the country, and to collect cat food, as well as blankets, medicine and sand, to distribute to cat shelters in Mexico City and across Mexico.
Data engineer, Nubia Malpica, proud feline activist and owner of six rescue cats, spearheaded the cause, creating a committee of four people to aid in the collection and delivery of the donations. The result of her efforts was remarkable with 17 Urban Scientists donating 131 kilograms (just over 1/10th of a ton) of cat food for the strays of Mexico City. On the day of the event, three Urban Scientists, Mitzi Figueroa, account manager, Claudia Pérez, HR manager, and Abigail Reyes, data engineer, joined Nubia on the esplanade of the Alcandía Benito Juárez to deliver the generous donations collected to help the shelters and stray cats. The organizers were excited and overwhelmed by the contribution.
Nubia is not only a cat lover, she’s also an avid supporter of shelters and the stray and feral cat management method known as trap-neuter-return (TNR), which traps cats, takes them to be spayed or neutered and then releases them back to their home. Through her advocacy, she has successfully reduced the feline population in her neighborhood and found homes for two cats.
“The most incredible part of this event was seeing the support of my fellow Urban Scientists,” said Nubia. “It’s remarkable to work together with generous individuals to support a worthy cause. By coming together, even small actions can change the lives of many – including defenseless animals. I’m proud to be part of a team that helps and makes a difference through our shared commitment to community.”
Whether in Mexico City or any of our 20 offices worldwide, Urban Science empowers and encourages our team members to make a difference in their community through volunteering and philanthropic activities. Our people are given 12 hours of paid volunteer time to support causes in their local community. Click here to read more about our far-reaching community efforts.
About Gato Fest
Established in 2012, Gato Fest seeks to raise awareness about the number of homeless kittens in Mexico. In addition to collecting donations of food and other items for cat shelters, the event encourages people to adopt cats and to early neutering to help reduce the number of homeless kittens. The two-day event has lectures online and on-site, in addition to a cat adoption station, veterinary station, cultural workshops, music, and vegan food. For more information, click here.
