by Harvie Schreiber

Harvie has been with the Cat House for eight years. She coordinates Facebook and Fundraising for The Cat House on the Kings, fosters kittens, and serves as an Adoption Coordinator and on our Board of Directors.

So far this year, we’ve rescued almost 750 cats and kittens, and we’ve still got half the year to go. Summer is when The Cat House on the Kings is overrun with rescued kittens, and staff are overwhelmed by phone calls asking us to take in more. It’s also the time of year when, because of graduations, vacations and other distractions, giving tends to fall off, leaving The Cat House with more need and fewer resources. “Our ‘Every Kitten Counts’ fundraiser is designed to help us bridge the gap between our pressing needs and our bank account balance,” explains Tammy Barker, Assistant Shelter Director for The Cat House on the Kings. “Our goal is to raise an extra $30,000 (that’s just $40 for every cat we’ve rescued so far this year) so that we have plenty of cash on hand to deal with extra vet bills and other expenses this summer. We really need the help.” www.cathouseonthekings.com/donate

In addition to cash donations and donations of much-needed items from The Cat House on the Kings Amazon Wishlist, The Cat House staff has designed an adorable Every Kitten Counts magnet as a both a fundraiser for the cats, as well as a reminder of who we are and what we do. These magnets (along with t-shirts, tumblers, hats, and more) can be purchased online to support us.

Rudy

Kittens like Miss Piggy count. This sweet calico was thrown from a car and badly injured. (We won’t even comment on what sort of hideous human would throw a kitten from a car!) She’s got a great appetite and a cute corkscrew tail so the staff had absolutely no problem coming up with a name for her! She has a fractured tibia, has been dealing with a splint/cast for a while; and is most certainly looking forward to the day when she’s all healed up. She’s an active and stubborn kitten, and even managed to escape from the cone she was wearing at first. It’s so gratifying to see scared and wounded kittens blossom and heal under the watchful eye of The Cat House on the Kings staff members, isn’t it? When people in the community fail these kittens, we do what we can to redeem their precious lives.

Miss Piggy

Kittens like Marty count. This cute little guy received a nasty compound fracture and didn’t receive prompt medical attention from the person who found him, so he came to us with exposed bone that had died. The vets were unable to save his broken leg and amputated it. But we’ve learned over the years that tripod cats are just as lovable, active, and capable as four-legged cats, and we have high hopes for his eventual recovery and adoption. Sometimes, the delay of the right medical treatment can cause as many problems as the original injury, and that’s where we come in.

Marty

Kittens like Kyser count. Foxtails are very dangerous for dogs as well as cats, especially when they get in ears or eyes. This poor Siamese kitten was surrendered to The Cat House on the Kings with a foxtail embedded in his left eye! The Cat House on the Kings Registered Vet Tech Chrystine Cordova worked carefully to remove it. Kyser is doing so much better now and we’re anticipating a full recovery for this flame-point kitten.

Kyser

Just as Every Kitten Counts (and every dollar counts) at The Cat House on the Kings, every foster counts, too! Gilbert Hinojosa has been fostering for us for years, and currently has eleven (yes, ELEVEN) adorable foster kittens running around his home. “I never really meant to be a foster,” Gilbert explained, “but with so many feral cats in the neighborhood having kittens, I felt it was my duty to help in any way that I can.” He and his girlfriend have spent countless hours bathing kittens, medicating them, loving them, and socializing them. He is also working on TNRing (trapping, neutering, and releasing) the adult feral cats in the community. If you’re interested in fostering, visit our website and fill out an online fostering application!

Gilbert

As you know, a few months ago The Cat House on the Kings rescued a Savannah Cat (Serval cross) named Lindy. At that same time, they also rescued a Jungle Cat named Mandy who is battling cancer. Recently, the Cat House rescued another Savannah Cat, this one a young male named Baboo. Realizing that they need plenty of space to roam safely, this trio has now been relocated to their very own enclosed area where they’ve got plenty of space (indoor and outdoor) to run, pounce, play, or to just lounge in the sunshine. We welcome visitors with appointments, so if we’ve been on your bucket list for a visit, why not come check out our Savannah cats (as well as the hundreds of other cats free roaming around our 12 acres?)

Two Savannahs

Check out more animal rescue & pet related articles, including more Cat House columns, in our Pet Perspective section and remember that if you buy an ad in KRL you can designate 10% of the ad price to go to the Cat House. Join our Pets Facebook group to keep up with all of our pet articles.

We have also just set up a new email mailing list for KRL’s new pets newsletter. We probably won’t be sending anything out until June, but wanted to start getting subscribers-click this link to subscribe. It will only go out once a month and will keep you up to date on all of our pet articles, including the Cat House column, and hopefully some extra content each month.