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.

Spring has sprung and for the Cat House on the Kings that means kittens, kittens and more kittens. If only people would spay and neuter their cats…sigh, unfortunately for many people, this does not seem to be very high on the priority list. At a recent vaccination clinic held at the Reedley Community Center, people seemed reticent to get their pets altered despite the fact that they were giving away 100 free (cat or dog), spay/neuter certificates. Go figure.

The same people who don’t bother to alter their cats are the same ones who then complain about what to do with kittens that no one wants. As of now, the Cat House is receiving 30-40 calls everyday from people wanting to bring us more kittens. This past Tuesday, the Cat House shipped out 40 kittens to a shelter in southern California called “Rescue Me Pets.” A huge thank-you goes out to Wings of Care’s, Bonny Schumaker for providing the transportation. Bonny’s airplane was in the shop, but Bonny rose to the occasion and drove the 40 little ones to their appointed destination and soon to be, forever homes.

In just the past month, I have had two people tell me that they had rescued abandoned kittens. When they took the kittens to the city shelters, I was shocked to hear that both persons were told that while the shelters would accept the kittens, they would likely be euthanized. Thankfully, both people declined to leave the kittens. For some strange reason, one of the organizations tried to confiscate the kittens from the man who brought them. He was told that once he entered the premises, the kittens were no longer his. He firmly stated that he was leaving and taking the kittens with him. Earlier this month, the Cat House on the Kings rescued several 12-day old kittens from a local shelter. Tammy Barker took charge of bottle-feeding the little ones.

Tammy also travels to the Fresno Petco every week where she meets pet owners in the parking lot, transports their cats (and dogs!) back to Reedley for altering and returns them in the evening. One of her average trips this month included approximately 15 cats and a couple of small dogs. Two snaps and a bag of chips for everyone with the good sense to spay and neuter! With all the low cost, and sometimes even free spay and neuter options, there are really no good excuses to bring more animals into a world that has no homes for them. A world where many cats continue to wait for a home of their own, a world where many loving animals will forever wait for a home and a family that never comes.

Our new adoption center at the Fresno Petco (Blackstone/Ashlan) has significantly increased our adoption rate. Nothing warms our hearts more than to see our kitties go to good, loving homes.

Paws For the Cause

Food4Less stores of the San Joaquin Valley have once again selected the Cat House on the Kings to benefit from the 4th annual “Paws For the Cause”. Between April 19 and May 6, customers at Food4Less stores may purchase a ‘paw’ for either $1 or (hopefully) $5 and choose to denote the money to one of the five chosen no-kill shelters. Last year the Cat House on the Kings was so fortunate to receive a total of $3,900! With your help we are confident that we can exceed that amount this year. Please ask your friends, relatives and co-workers to shop at Food4Less and purchase a paw for the Cat House!

Please show your support for a business that cares about animals and shop at Food4Less. Food4Less has stores located in Selma, Fresno, Porterville, Visalia, Madera and Merced. Not only will you be getting a good value for your grocery dollar but you will also be patronizing a business that has demonstrated a commitment to helping support non-profit, no-kill animal shelters like The Cat House on the Kings.

Love Meow

Love Meow (.com) is a cat blog dedicated to ultimate cat lovers. They also try to help spread the word about local shelters and rescue groups. Periodically Love Meow will give a small donation to a shelter that receives a lot of nominations from its readers. The Cat House on the Kings was informed that they had received numerous nominations and we would be receiving a check for $500! In addition, Love Meow will be doing a feature story on the Cat House. Look for a mention of one of our former residents, the now famous, Marmalady.

*Open House is May 4th!*

Our annual Spring Open House Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be guided tours, music, food for sale, and of course the silent auction. Don’t forget about the quilt raffle! The very talented Maxine Harris has created another quilted masterpiece for our raffle titled, “Black and White Sherbet Cats”. Tickets for a chance to win this gorgeous full size quilt are available now for just $1 each. ($20 min w/credit card) Send a check or money order to 7120 Kings River Rd., Parlier, CA 93648. You can call the office at 638-0030 for more info or credit card orders. We will ship the winner the quilt anywhere in the world; last years winner was from Canada!

Admission to the open house is a donation of canned cat/kitten food, bleach, paper towels, clumping litter, pine cleaner, gift cards (Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.) or postcard stamps. Of course we have no problem taking cash too!

We are still in need of volunteers of all ages. Teenagers are welcome to volunteer, as are younger kids when accompanied by a parent. We have two shifts available; 8 a.m.–12 p.m. or 12 p.m.–4 p.m. We always need items for the silent auction. Goods or services of any kind are welcome and much appreciated. You will also have the opportunity to meet Kerry Bashir, author of the children’s book, The Little Marmalady.

Cat Reaches Autistic Boy

Last summer we had a cat adopted by a family that included a young boy with autism. The boy, Brandon Beach, saw something special in the cat he personally chose and the cat saw something special in Brandon. The strength of the connection was undeniable. We recently received a picture of Brandon and Samantha (named after a favorite classmate) celebrating Samantha’s 10 birthday with a Fancy Feast mixed grill cake. Brandon loved the celebration and he said he was very careful to keep Samantha away from the candles!

And To Wrap It Up…

So as I bring this column to a close I would like to point out a very important fact. If you don’t spay and neuter your pets, you are part of a very big problem. Please become part of the solution instead. Spay and neuter your pets and encourage your family and friends to do the same. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to ‘climb on my soapbox’ to preach about why it is important to fix your pets. Call the Cat House on the Kings for information and appointments for low-cost spay/neuters at 638-0490. Remember, we fix small dogs too.

Please come to our Open House Fundraiser next weekend and support the Cat House on the Kings in our mission of feline education, adoption and rescue. We would love to see you!

And as always, if you choose to advertise in Kings River Life Magazine, 10% of the ad fees can be designated to go to the Cat House on the Kings.

Check out more animal rescue & pet related articles, including more Cat House columns, in our Pet Perspective section.

Jackie Dale is a freelance writer who lives in Reedley with her husband of 21 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.