by Jackie Dale

Jackie is a part of Cat House On The Kings in Parlier and does a monthly column on the Cat House here at KRL.

THE OPEN HOUSE IS NEXT WEEKEND!

Next weekend (Saturday, November 7) is our Fall Holiday Open House Fundraiser. I hope to see you there. It has been quite busy at The Cat House. Along with all the preparations for the open house, we have taken in a record number of cats, kittens, and dogs. The Cat House just took in 14 dogs from a breeder who passed away: 12 Pomeranians and two pregnant Schnauzers. Funds are getting very tight, and this fundraiser will help pay the bills for the next six months. Please, please, please come and support us at this awesome event. Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Out of Funds

Also, the funds for the low cost spay and neuter grant have run out. This means that spays go back to the original price of $37 and neuters are $22, still a bargain by any means. However, there are some people who just can’t pay. Therefore, I am once again asking for donations to help me with my various projects. If you donate online, please send an email to The Cat House explaining that your donation is for my projects. Thank You!

ADOPTED! Ginger Boy, now known as, Cowboy. Check out his story in this column

I have an elderly lady with about 25 cats. I am dead in the water on that one. Even if the money were available, The Cat House is completely booked up till the end of the year. We are referring people to H.O.P.E. to get their cats fixed. But they are in Fresno, about 45 minutes from Reedley.

The Cat House will try to squeeze in a cat for me here and there, but 25 cats are just too many. I also have a lady with four or five cats, a poor family with four to six cats (two already fixed), four cats living behind the local CVS, and a man in Fresno with a feral mom and three kittens. And the feral compound has about six that need to be trapped and fixed. With a straggler here and there added in, I have about 50 cats on my list. Fortunately, some people can and do pay the fees which frees up the funds for those who can’t pay. I appreciate any donation. Donations are only used to pay spay and neuter fees. Thanks!

Some Things Can’t Be Fixed

In September I pre-booked eight appointments for November, but now I have to ration them. I have received one donation, but without the $10 spays and neuters, the money will only cover the eight appointments. It is extremely difficult for me to have to tell people that I can’t help them. I will only be able to help people trap feral cats. They are going to have to book and pay full price for appointments at other facilities.

I had nine appointments pre-booked for the month of October. Only four of them were used because the people failed to get their cats. I cleaned up some stragglers, though. Two more cats from the Lady With Thirty Cats brought her grand total to—33 cats. We also trapped a a female cat that lives behind a business in Reedley.

One young woman in particular stands out. This is the third time I have scheduled her cat to be spayed. (Already fixed her three other cats.) The first time I showed up to pick up her cat, no one came to the door. I scheduled her again. Called three days ahead of time to remind her, even texted her the day before to remind her again. And again, she forgets to round up the cat. I give her one more chance with a spot the next day. This time I tell her I will pick up the cat the night before. I show up and OMG! she again forgot to locate the cat. I am thinking to myself “Really?! You had all dang day to find this cat!” So here is the scene: it is dark, raining, there is thunder and lightning. I’m standing in the rain watching this woman smoke a cigarette while her toddler is outside in the rain wearing nothing but a diaper, and her baby daddy is running around trying to grab the cat. But, much like me, the cat was freaked out by the thunder and lightning. Trying one last time, I told her to text me if she managed to get the cat by 7:00 the next morning. Never heard a word.

I’m not sure what people are thinking when they behave like this. Wasting my time, my efforts, my resources and valuable appointments is pretty upsetting. I also went the extra mile to help this person out by transporting her cats for her. I don’t appreciate it when they don’t seem to care enough to even produce the cat. I always explain that as a volunteer my services are free. I assumed that people would then value my services more, as I am doing them on my own time. Sadly, this is not always the case. It seems to be truer that people do not put value on that which they get for free. I was advised by more than one person to just not waste any more efforts on this person, but my goal is focused on getting the cat fixed. But even I have my line in the sand.

This Will Warm Your Heart

Winnie

When It Rain It Pours…Kittens

One of 5 feral kittens

Earlier this month was one of the appointment days and I had dropped off my load of cats for the day’s appointments when I got a call. A friend had found two small kittens huddled together on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. She brought them home and called me. She had already rescued two cats and a dog in recent months and her husband did not want the kittens there. Shortly thereafter, I received a call from another friend who said her dogs had treed a kitten. There was no way a friendly kitten just shows up in the country like that. It had been dumped.

So after my yoga class I swung by both houses and picked up the kittens. The Cat House was kind enough to accept the two smaller kittens and we are fostering the older one, GB (Ginger Boy). He is currently looking for a home. He is the sweetest, friendliest cat ever!

I took time away from writing this column to go and rescue a beautiful Siamese fellow who showed up behind the CVS. Not part of the original group, he is a recent dump. He has the most beautiful blue eyes. Because he falls into the group known as “highly adoptable,” he is also going to The Cat House. The woman who has been feeding these cats for the past two years is being transferred. I am going to trap and fix the remaining cats and possibly relocate them. Until then it looks like I am the new feeder.

CVS Siamese, Snowshoe

As I finish up this column, I am waiting for five kittens captured from a feral mom. Sigh.

Selma Kitties

I want to thank everyone who sent me condolences on the loss of my Lil’ Boy. I try to respond to each comment personally, but with home, family, volunteer work and six part-time jobs, sometimes I just get too busy. Know that I do appreciate everyone who comments and supports my efforts to make this little part of the world a better place. Unfortunately, I have lost another of my cats in Selma to a dog attack. There seem to be just the two sisters left. Both are fixed, and I may have to relocate them.

Remember, if you advertise in Kings River Life Magazine, 10% of your ad fee can be donated to The Cat House on the Kings.

See You at the Open House!

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.

Jackie Dale is a freelance writer who lives in Reedley with her husband of 24 years, Frank, and their 2 children. Jackie currently writes for Traffic Magazine and for The Cat House on the Kings Feline Rescue. A former ballerina, Jackie now teaches yoga and fitness classes privately and at local area gyms. Jackie and her family have 6 dogs and 12 cats, all rescues.