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.

Whenever one plans an open air event, the biggest concern is always the weather. There was much concern and trepidation, as the weather people were forecasting rain for Saturday, November 4, and quite a bit of rain, too. There must have been a whole lot of praying and hoping going on because the weather was beyond perfect. No rain, not too hot and not too cold. Many thanks to Mother Nature for keeping the precipitation to the north of us. While we always appreciate rain, every now and then we are grateful for a temporary hold-off.

Of course, we must thank Tammy Barker and her ever-faithful group of volunteers who converged on The Cat House to help make the open house a triumph. People came in droves, and the silent auction and raffles were a smashing success! There were so many awesome items to bid on, it was hard to choose. I did a bunch of Christmas shopping, so I did double duty. I did get a couple of things for myself, though. Well, actually for my cats, but it’s practically the same thing, right? A simple cat tunnel has provided my babies with hours of fun and exercise.

Speaking of Christmas, don’t forget we have a plethora of cat-related gift ideas for that special kitty lover on your holiday list. We have the calendar of course, with some of the cutest furry babies gracing the months of 2018. We have recently received a lot of new merchandise that is sure to please even the most discriminating cat lover. New Cat House shirts, knit hats and caps with ears (!), coloring books, stickers and tattoos. And don’t forget that old standby, “The Lady With 500 Cats.” It’s a wonderful story for children and grown-ups alike. You can visit our online store, or you have the option of stopping by The Cat House in Parlier, or the Fresno Petco to see the available merchandise. We appreciate your shopping support.

And while we are still on the subject of Christmas, let’s not forget about the annual tradition of The Christmas Pet Photo With Santa. I love this fundraiser because it’s such fun to get your photo taken with Santa and it’s only $9.99! Bring your furbaby and/or human child to the Fresno Petco at Ashlan and Blackstone on December 2nd, 9 and 16 (1-4 p.m.) for a photo with Santa. You can actually bring whatever pet you want as long as it doesn’t try to eat Santa. My own little dog, Paco, once got nervous and peed on Santa, but he was a good sport and Mrs. Claus was on hand with paper towels. All the proceeds will benefit The Cat House on the Kings. It’s a really enjoyable and exciting way to support The Cat House. It takes a lot of money to keep our kitties warm all winter.

Busy Month for The Cat Trapper

When I left off last month, I had yet to trap the mother of the Siamese kittens from Kingsburg. I’m happy to report that mom was trapped, fixed, and returned to her neighborhood. Now that the weather is cooler, my TNR has picked up. It is miserable to trap when it is hot, and precautions have to be taken to ensure the safety of trapped cats. It is a whole lot easier, and safer, to trap when it is cooler. A friend asked me to help an older Reedley couple who have a colony of about 20 cats. I was pleased that it was relatively close by, and that five of the cats were already fixed. The first trapping netted four cats, and on a second trapping I got two more for a total of three boys and three girls fixed and returned to their caregivers. I will continue to trap in batches until all the cats we can find are fixed.

I received a flurry of calls in just one week. One woman needed help setting up appointments and trapping. There was a cancellation so I had three spots available. I have already trapped the first three of six feral cats on her rural property, two girls and a boy.

Another call came from a friend of a friend. She initially had six cats to trap and fix, but due to her proximity to a busy road and coyotes, by the time she called me, there was only one female left. This mom cat had already produced multiple litters. She was trapped and fixed the following day. The caregiver gave a generous donation and I was able to relocate the cat to a much safer new home.

A friend of mine in Fresno called about the feral cats at her small apartment complex. We discussed various options to fix the cats, since money is an issue. I loaned her a trap and gave her instructions. Her first attempts have been thus far unsuccessful, but we will keep trying.

I got a call from a woman who has been feeding cats at a strip mall and has been asked to stop. She needed advice on what to do, and needed help with possibly relocating the cats to her own neighborhood. I asked another TNR friend of mine to speak with her about her options because Fresno is a bit too far for me to go. I’m very grateful for my TNR friends. We try to help each other whenever we can.

I have a new foster baby, joining the six still here. A small black-and-white boy kitten was found wrapped in a hoodie and left in a shopping cart in the parking lot of a Kingsburg supermarket. Yang is very healthy, and after a short quarantine, has joined the rest of the kitten group.

The Fire Department Needed Me!

I was at line dance rehearsal in Squaw Valley one Friday, when I received a call from the Reedley Fire Department. There was a kitten stuck in the wheel well of a 4×4 pick-up truck. The tiny kitten managed to get his head stuck in a small opening right next to the shock absorber and a very large spring. One of the firemen had remembered my helping them previously and called Lynea for my number. I immediately drove to the home in Reedley. The firemen present had been trying for some time to free the kitten with no luck. You really have to love a fire department that is willing to put that kind of effort into rescuing a kitten. So the first thing I did was assess how badly the kitten was stuck. It was really stuck. In hindsight I should have taken a photo of the trapped kitten before I got started, but I was in full rescue mode so it just didn’t occur to me. I asked for some cooking oil which I liberally applied to its neck area. I gently moved the kitten back and forth for a minute, then lifted his chin up and—WHOOSH! It slid right out, almost like it was being born. Everyone clapped; it was awesome. The little buff kitten is safe and sound at The Cat House.

As I sign off, please remember to consider The Cat House on the Kings as you make your end-of-the-year tax deductible donations. Also, keep an eye out for the winter newsletter, due out the first week of December.

Learn more about the Cat House on their website and you can donate here.

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 25 years, Frank, and their 2 children. Jackie currently writes 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.