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.

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO VOTE DAILY IN THE SHELTER CHALLENGE!

The New Beginnings’ Shelter Challenge runs through July 15 so please remember to vote daily! We could really use that $25,000 first place prize money!

Every Kitten Counts Fundraiser—HELP US RAISE $25,000!

The Cat House on the Kings needs your help! We’ve rescued almost 700 cats and kittens so far this year, many of whom required extra vet care. Kittens with broken legs, eye issues, dangerous infections, burns, and bites. Then there are the cats like the seven adult cats that were recently abandoned at our facility. Five of them are seniors. Every life we save costs us money for food, vet care, litter, and vaccines. Our bank account is dwindling, and we really need cash donations. This fundraiser runs through July 8. We are grateful for your support. Thank You!

You can donate online @ www.cathouseonthekings.com/donate. Checks can be mailed to CHOTK, 7120 S. Kings River Road, Parlier, CA 93648.

All those cute cats and kittens consume a ton of food and use up lots of our supplies. If you’d prefer to send merchandise such as food or supplies, we try to keep our Amazon wish list updated. You can even have the food/supplies donations shipped directly to us. Please remember that if you #StartWithASmile, The Cat House gets that extra donation. Don’t forget, donations, whether cash or merchandise, are tax-deductible so save those receipts!

Clovis Chipotle Fundraiser August 9!
On August 9, the Clovis Chipotle restaurant is holding A Burritos for Purritos fundraiser to benefit The Cat House on the Kings. You can show the flyer, either in print or on your phone, or you can just tell them that you are there to support The Cat House on the Kings and 33% of your order gets donated to us! Save the date and plan to take family and friends out for burritos on Thursday, August 9! 1840 Hearndon Avenue, Clovis 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Are You Following Us?
The easiest way to stay on top of the current Cat House news and goings on is to follow us on Facebook. The daily reminders are also a handy way to remember to vote for the latest challenge or contest. And if you haven’t already, check out all the adorable kitty pictures on The Cat House on the Kings Official Fan Page. Be sure to read the rules for posting. Be nice and try to refrain from making judgements or comments about people who may do things a bit different than you.

And don’t forget about our driveway and kitten cams! You can go to The Cat House website and click on to watch the driveway cam at The Cat House or the kitten room at the Petco adoption center. If you want to see the cats on the driveway cam, you should do it early. The cats are out in force in the cool of the morning. As it gets hot, the cats seek out cool spots in the shade. You can’t go wrong with the Petco kitten cam. If you are feeling down or stressed, there is nothing like watching kittens frolic to improve your outlook. You can even sponsor one of our cams!

Will You Be Coming To Visit Us This Summer?
We hope you have included a trip to The Cat House in your summer travel plans. We love to have visitors. Tours are given at 1 p.m., and it is best if you call ahead to let them know you are coming. When you are there, be sure to sign the guest book and tell us where you are from. If you take a picture and send it to us, you just may see yourself in one of our newsletters. You can sign up to receive our e-newsletter or read any of our past issues on our website. I hope you read the newsletter because I write it, and I work pretty hard on making it informative and interesting.

When you come to visit, you will notice that it is hot here. Bring something to drink and perhaps a hat. If you don’t have a hat, well, we happen to have a mighty fine selection of hats in our gift shop. While you are there, pick up a t-shirt or two because you just have to let everyone know that you visited the largest no-kill cat sanctuary in the country, right?! Grab some magnets for yourself or maybe a gift, pick up a free copy of that fabulous newsletter and maybe drop a little donation in the box before heading over to the adjacent kitten room to be overwhelmed with cuteness. Look forward to seeing you!

No Trapping, Just Kittens

The past month has been so busy. It’s all about kittens, cats, and more kittens. There seems to be no let up. I avoid Facebook because it seems there is no end to the posts for found kittens. People ask for help, but it has reached the point where people need to reach deep down inside and maybe do something themselves. There are very few people doing the work of many because no one wants to deal with the work, expense, and inconvenience. However, why do they then expect other people to shoulder the burden? YOU do something. YOU keep kittens in your bathroom for a while. YOU get them fixed and vaccinated. YOU find them homes. I totally realize that not everyone is in a position to take in kittens, but if you really must turn them over to someone else, please at least give a donation to offset the costs. If I agree to take your kittens, you should do your best to get them to me. I shouldn’t have to pick them up. Most people can get a ride if they really need it. Please refrain from trotting out those tired old lines; “it’s not my cat/kittens,” it never is, “I’m too busy,” we are ALL busy or “I don’t have the time,” well, who does?

Over the past month kittens have been streaming in. Along with about twenty kittens in foster homes, I currently have seventeen kittens at my house including five bottle babies. I took in two kittens that a mother and daughter had found in the middle of a busy road in Hanford. Leaving unwanted animals in the middle of the road seems to be a sort of “trend.” A despicable and vile act committed by the lowest of the low among those who can only tentatively be described as “human.”

Thankfully we had some kittens and adult cats leave for new homes, too. In early June, I loaded up my car with six adult cats and three kittens heading out to various private homes in Santa Cruz County. As we were loading the cats in Fresno, one of the carriers broke open and an adult female escaped and ran into the neighborhood. I had posters made (donated by Michelle Enns Patillo!) and went knocking on doors. The escapee was one of a pair of sisters from the feral refuge. The refuge caretaker drove to Fresno and started walking around calling the cat. Lo and behold, within minutes Chloe the cat came running out of the bushes and into the caretaker’s arms. We were so relieved and ecstatic! I was frankly astounded at how easy it was. The caretaker insisted that the cat would come to her voice and I admit, I had my doubts. I was never more relieved to be wrong!

I was very pleased to be part of a rescue of an abandoned house cat. A cat that had clearly been an inside-only cat was left behind in what was described as, “the Pacoima hood.” It was reported that he would sit outside the door of his former apartment door and cry all night. No one was feeding him, and he was getting thin. I googled Pacoima and was shocked to see that the crime rate was astronomical. I was worried that the cat would be injured by people upset by his incessant crying. Thanks to Facebook, a group of people who didn’t even know each other banded together to rescue this very nice fellow. He was picked up and taken to Fix Nation to be fixed and vaccinated. Our very own Mirian Hasani volunteered to drive the cat, now named “Sylvester,” four hours to my home in Reedley. Sylvester is one chill cat. Sweet, loving, and just a great cat. I can’t imagine why his family left him behind. Sylvester is so well adjusted, it is obvious his family treated him well up until abandoning him. He was only here a week before he was selected to go to our coastal resource. They were thrilled with him and are confident he will be adopted quickly.

Yesterday twelve kittens left, and my house is a little quieter. They were supposed to leave a week ago, but I was informed that a litter of kittens recently brought to the facility tested positive for feline distemper. I was asked to wait another week while fosters were secured for my babies. This perfectly illustrates the reason why people need to keep their cat’s vaccinations up-to-date, and the domino effect that is created by the failure to do so.

I have three more kittens coming in this week. Found on a woman’s lawn, they have been waiting for an opening. I was very happy that the finder was willing to care for them until then. Another three at the shelter I work with have also been waiting for a spot. This shelter is not equipped to adequately care for small kittens. Although this shelter does not take cats, the law requires them to take kittens. So I try to get them out as soon as I can. The best kitten related item I have ever purchased: a puppy playpen for $36 on Amazon. It is roomy, sturdy and washable. It pops open and folds up flat for easy storage. I absolutely love it. I also bought a couple of pop-up dog kennels that make inexpensive and washable kitten homes.

Until next month, enjoy your summer, and if you can, help out an animal in need. It is up to us to make our little piece of the world a better place for both people and animals. What can you do to make a difference?

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.