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.

An Affinity for Trinity

Trinity

On a scorching Fresno afternoon, Laura’s plane landed in Fresno and she made her way to the Cat House on the Kings Adoption center at the Blackstone/Ashlan Petco. News travels fast thanks to Facebook and a small gathering of Marmalady “groupies” was waiting for Laura when she arrived. Laura dropped her bags and immediately scooped up Trinity and cuddled her in her arms. The “groupies” moved in like a bunch of star-struck paparazzi, snapping picture after picture of the adorable duo. We all know that Trinity is going to have a wonderful life with Marmalady and the rest of the clan in beautiful Canada.

Laura Lemieux poses in front of Marmalady painting

Thank you Laura, for following your heart and adopting a kitty that may not have otherwise had a chance at a safe and happy life. Not too many people would fly here from Canada just to adopt a cat. You are truly one-of-a-kind!

We were thrilled to see that Laura brought a big bunch of the Marmalady key chains with her. It was amusing to note that every one of the groupies already had their Marmalady key chains. Some of the key chains are for sale at the Petco store. The rest will be available at our Open House on November 2. Laura, whose generosity seems boundless, also donated three beautiful rings for our silent auction.

While at the Petco, I had the pleasure of meeting Sapphire. Sapphire had draped herself over Laura’s bags while simultaneously taking a swipe at a nearby cat. This is the reason that Sapphire needs to be an only cat. She is a bit ornery. Sapphire is approximately two years old. She is absolutely sweet with people and was happy to have me pet her. As you can see, Sapphire is used to the high life. She would be so very happy to have someone just like you take her home and spoil her rotten!

Sapphire waiting for a home

Petco is a Go-Go

Corporate Petco is very pleased with the significant increase in our re-homing rate. The Cat House is beyond pleased that the Fresno adoption center is giving our kitties an even greater chance at forever homes due to the convenient location. Our center has one of the highest adoption rates of any of the other Petco centers in the state of California. During the month of July, the Cat House on the Kings re-homed a total of 52 cats/kittens from our Fresno Petco location. Our adoptions of adult cats have increased significantly and we are ecstatic about that. We simply can’t thank Petco and the Petco Foundation enough for their support and dedication in helping the Cat House on the Kings find loving homes for our many felines.

Mark Your Calendars/Save the Date!

Our Autumn Open House and Fundraiser have been scheduled for Saturday, November 2. Since we are only allowed to hold two fundraisers per year, this is an extremely important event. It costs a LOT of money to care for upwards of 800 cats and kittens. The expenses of running a 12-acre sanctuary and rescue are staggering. We depend on the support and generosity of the public to maintain our facility as we receive no taxpayer or government funds of any kind.

We are now collecting items for our silent auction. We will pretty much take anything that can be auctioned off for money. Jewelry, art, wine, services, gift baskets, tickets to attractions such as Disneyland and all manner of pet-related items are just some of the examples of items you might consider for donation.

We have had some pretty quirky stuff donated, but it always sells and that is our main objective. One gentleman obviously really wanted an exquisite crystal bowl that was donated for auction. He put down a bid so high that no one else wanted it and of course, he won the bowl. Mother’s Day was the following weekend so perhaps the bowl was earmarked for a very lucky mom!

At our Spring Open House, one of the more popular donations was some unique metal yard art. The bid sheet was filled quickly with eager prospective buyers. The Cat House on the Kings will be SO grateful for your donations to our auction and remember that your donations are tax-deductible! You can drop off your donation at the Cat House on the Kings or the Petco at Blackstone and Ashlan. Give us a call if you have a question about the suitability of a donation.

We always need volunteers for our fundraising events. Never underestimate the value of the volunteer. Without them, the Cat House would suffer tremendously. You don’t have to have money to be of help, we will glad partake of your time and efforts. We are also signing up vendors for our event. The vendor fee is only $25 or a product donation of equal value for our silent auction. We have vendors selling all kinds of products, not just those that are animal related. Take advantage of the steady stream of cat lovers to get some exposure for your product and make some sales. To volunteer or to be a vendor you can call Tammy Barker at 559-999-8238.

Rambunctious Rescues

My four rescue kittens from Squaw Valley are now approximately 10 weeks old. They are at that stage where they are very active and get into quite a bit of trouble. They make a good argument for the adoption of an adult cat–adults don’t have to use the litter box so much! Kittens are a lot like human babies in that they seem to poop frequently. My husband exclaims in exasperation; “How can one tiny kitten produce that much poop!”

They get into trouble by knocking stuff over, climbing things, etc. At night when we go to bed and turn out the lights, it is apparently the signal for kitten fun to begin. The four little fur balls run, jump, tumble and wrestle all over the bed like they are at a Gymboree for cats. We are then forced to eject them and shut the door.

Sweet Portia-Needs a Home

Fortunately, these phases do not last–most of the time! Two of the sweet babies are still looking for homes. The orange classic tabby and the Russian Blue are still waiting for someone to love, cuddle and call their own. They are neutered, had their first shots and are wormed and flea treated. Their fee is $25. If interested in either of these two beauties you can email me at jackiejoy@hotmail[dot]com

Brother Oliver up for adoption too

Get your Coffee! Kettle Corn! Nuts!

Purchase the Region’s Finest, Freshest Kettle Corn – Classic Sweet & Salty and the Cat House on the Kings receives $3 from every bag sold!! MMMMMM!! Coupon Code YELLOW gets you 20% OFF Any Order of $20 or more!
Use this link to purchase: www.raisemoneyforpets.com

Remember this is where you can buy the Cat House on the Kings Special Rescue Roast coffee and nuts too. They make awesome gifts!

Please consider advertising with Kings River Life and you can designate 10% of the ad fee to be donated 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.