[00:00.04]A new video game that includes a brave cat is popular with cat lovers.

[00:06.80]Some of them are using the game to raise money for real cats.

[00:12.28]The game was released last month. It is called "Stray."

[00:16.77]A stray animal is one without a home. Many stray cats and dogs live on city streets.

[00:26.40]Thanks to online fundraising services, gamers are playing "Stray" live for audiences

[00:33.17]to raise money for animal shelters and other cat-connected organizations.

[00:39.48]Annapurna Interactive, the game's creator, publicized "Stray"

[00:44.96]by offering two cat rescue and adoption agencies copies of the game to give away.

[00:53.08]Livestreaming game play for charity is not new.

[00:56.70]But the quick popularity of "Stray" is a bit unusual.

[01:01.29]It was the fourth most watched game on the day it was first shown on Twitch,

[01:07.83]the video game streaming site.

[01:11.56]Viewers watch as players send the game's cat

[01:15.20]through a city to solve problems and escape enemies.

[01:20.44]The cat in the game does all this while doing usual cat activities,

[01:25.78]like scratching, jumping or hitting things off tables.

[01:31.68]About 80 percent of the game's creative team

[01:35.37]are "cat owners and cat lovers," the game's producers said.

[01:42.16]"I certainly hope that maybe some people will be inspired

[01:45.75]to help actual strays in real life," said Swann Martin-Raget.

[01:51.08]He is a game producer of Stray and works at the BlueTwelve gaming studio in France.

[01:59.84]Annapurna Interactive contacted the Nebraska Humane Society

[02:04.75]to discuss a partnership before the game's launch on July 19.

[02:10.84]The humane society jumped at the chance,

[02:13.57]marketing specialist Brendan Gepson said.

[02:18.36]"The whole game and the whole culture around the game,

[02:21.92]it's all about a love of cats," Gepson said.

[02:25.56]"It meshed really well with the shelter and our mission."

[02:31.24]The shelter received four copies of the game to give away.

[02:35.36]People donated $5 for a chance to win one of the games.

[02:40.37]In one week, the shelter raised $7,000, Gepson said.

[02:47.52]Most of the 550 donors were new to the shelter,

[02:51.49]including people from Germany and Malta.

[02:56.52]Jeff Legaspi is Annapurna Interactive's marketing director.

[03:01.04]He said it made sense for the game's launch to do something "impactful,"

[03:06.76]or making a powerful influence.

[03:10.08]He added that he hopes the game will "bring more awareness to adopting

[03:14.64]and not shopping for a new pet."

[03:18.28]The game is available on PlayStation and the Steam online game platform.

[03:24.88]Steam monitor SteamDB said

[03:28.24]"Stray" has been the number-one purchased game for the past two weeks.

[03:33.40]Annapurna did not release sales numbers or download numbers for the game.

[03:39.64]I'm Dan Novak.

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Words in This Story

fundraise — n. activity done to collect money for a political party, charity, school, etc.

charity — n. the act of giving money, food, or other kinds of help to people who are poor, sick, etc.

viewer — n. a person who sees or looks at something

inspire — v. to make want to do something ; to give an idea about what to do or create

mesh — v. to fit or work together successfully