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.

Right now, before you read any further, get up and go circle on your calendar, Saturday, November 3, 10 a.m.—3 p.m. You do not want to miss our Fall/Holiday Open House fundraiser. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone there!

We are really in need of volunteers. This is the perfect opportunity for high school or college students needing service hours or maybe as a scout troop community service project. Whether one person or a group, please consider volunteering because volunteers are a cornerstone to any non-profit organization. We need YOU!

We are still looking for silent auction donations. Let’s see how many cat-themed items we can muster up for the auction. While we will consider all items, cat-themed are just so much fun, not to mention, apropos. With the exception of antique or vintage items, new is best.

For information or questions regarding donations or volunteering, please contact tammy@cathouseonthekings[dot]com.

And please don’t forget about the raffle for the (size 7) ruby and diamond ring. It’s worth $4,800! Tickets are only $1! The raffle will be held at the Open House, but don’t worry, if you can’t come, we will ship the ring to the winner. Unless you live outside the U.S., then the winner will have to cover the cost.

Send a check or money order payable in U.S. funds to The Cat House on the Kings and marked “RAFFLE TICKETS” in the memo section, to The Cat House on the Kings, 7120 S. Kings River Rd., Parlier, CA 93648. (Please include a phone number in case you win!) To use a credit/debit card to buy raffle tickets, call our office at (559) 638-0030 (PST) Monday-Friday ($20 min). Your ticket numbers will be recorded for the drawing. Sorry, we are not permitted to accept raffle ticket payments online. Raffle questions? Send an email to info@cathouseonthekings.com.

HARVEST SPECIAL!
We’ve had a bountiful crop of kittens this year, so we’re temporarily reducing adoption prices for kittens: $50 each or 2 for $75. All are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and tested for FIV/FeLv! Adult cats are just $35! Online application required for all cats.

And speaking of specials, be on the look-out for the 2019 Cat House on the Kings Calendar which will be coming out soon. As soon as the announcement is made, we will begin taking pre-orders!

$20 Spays and Neuters for Fresno County Resident
Now is the time to spay or neuter your cat! Prevent the birth of unwanted kittens by taking advantage of the mind-blowing price of $20 before funds run out. This generous grant was made possible thanks to a monetary legacy left by our dear friend and long-time supporter, Linda Clendenen. She will be dearly missed. Call (559) 638-0490 for an appointment today!

Paint & Sip a Murderino Masterpiece
Pinot’s Palette of Fresno is hosting a special event that will benefit The Cat House on the Kings. Gather some friends for a fun and social evening of painting and sipping wine. Five dollars from every seat sold will be donated to The Cat House. You must be over 21, and ID’s will be checked at the door.

6763 N. Palm Avenue, Fresno
October 20 at 7:30 to 9:30 pm
Facebook – Paint & Sip a Murderino Masterpiece

Feline Tails
Wow! It has been a very long summer. Sorry I missed you all last month, but I was so busy with kittens and getting the newsletter out. I thank Harvie for stepping up once again to help me out. The kitten situation has been continuous and unrelenting. At the pinnacle of craziness, I had twenty-three kittens at my house and another 20+ at various foster homes. The numbers ebbed and flowed as kittens would leave and others would very shortly take their place.

The Kitten Diet
The work involved with caring for so many kittens is tremendous. So tremendous that I discovered a new way to lose weight. Stay so busy that you don’t have time to eat, and when you do have the time, you are too tired so you just go to bed. I seriously lost twenty pounds this summer. Of course, once I saw the pounds dropping, I augmented the process by changing my diet accordingly. More fruits and vegetable, less junk, limited carbs, and small portions. But I digress…

The first week of August was absolutely amazing. I sent out nineteen kittens to three different locations. Then in mid-August, another eight left. I hadn’t had any time to TNR, but I was called to an apartment building in Kingsburg. There was a mother cat and four kittens. Two of the dwellers there were arguing over the disposition of said mother and kittens. One woman did not want to hand over the kittens even though pets are not allowed in the building. I convinced her to hand over all but one. She said since it was a boy she would not have to get it fixed. I explained why that was a bad idea and told her that I would be back for the kitten to get it neutered. In the meantime I took the mom and got her fixed (at my expense), put the kittens in a foster home, and grabbed a big orange cat. No doubt the dad cat that was also hanging around. Dad was neutered returned to the complex. I hope to return for him if I can find him a barn cat position or something. Mom was also a very nice cat I named Vivian after the lady who called me. After a course of antibiotics for mastitis, I was able to send her to a rescue where she was adopted the very same day! I’m now down to ten kittens who are finishing up a course of meds and will be ready to go soon. I also have two young sisters abandoned at the feral refuge I manage. They just need a bit more social grooming before being ready for adoption.

My boss at one of the gyms I work at asked me to trap a cat and kittens living in his storage room. I trapped and fixed the mom. When I released her I watched her run down the alley to a house on the corner, so I think someone got their cat fixed courtesy of my boss. The kittens, about five weeks, were hissy but didn’t strike. They are slowly but surely coming around, and I’m confident they will eventually be adopted out.

I was also asked to check out a colony of cats living at the Valero at Mountain View and Hwy 99. I trapped a mother cat and an older kitten in one trap. There was a pregnant orange cat, but she would not go in the trap. Although the store owners could handle her, for some reason they declined to help me. Instead they began issuing me “orders.” “Take all those but leave this one and that one.” I tried to patiently explain how the process works. I told him I was there as a community service, not to clean up all his problems for free. I explained that a generous donor had offered to pay to fix a few cats. They just kept repeating what they wanted, and I wasn’t getting my message across at all. I fixed the two ferals I trapped and returned them. The orange cat had her kittens so I will need to return there soon to try and round them up before they go feral and get the mom fixed.

Another call for help came from the Selma Hospital employee. She wanted to get the resident cats fixed and had even secured the funds to do so! I trapped the mother of the tiny colony (six cats) and two of her now four-month old kittens. Everyone was fixed and returned. Subsequent traps yielded nothing, so we will wait a week or so and then try again. Everyone at the hospital is on board with the project, and the cats are regularly provided with food and water.

I also took in one tiny orange, actually almost red, kitten found abandoned near small town animal shelter. The finder took it to the shelter, but they refused to take it which is probably exactly why the kitten ended up on the side of the road. The finder couldn’t keep it, so I agreed to take him. “Rusty” is one tiny kitten with a huge personality. Rusty was lucky enough to be so darn cute and personable because The Cat House on the Kings snatched him right up.

Lynea sent me out to check out a call about a cat having kittens in an abandoned home. The gorgeous Siamese mother had given birth in the dilapidated home, and the neighbor was kind enough to round up the family and put them in a large kennel. I found a foster for the family although two of the five kittens passed away.

These past few years rescuing and rehoming cats and kittens have been filled with much trial and error. The key is to learn from the mistakes and not give up because a few things go awry. I don’t pretend to be a rescue. I see myself as a freelance rescuer and trapper filling a need in my community. I’ve met some outstanding people who feel the same. Just trying to help our little piece of the world be a better place for people and animals alike. We work tirelessly behind the scenes, frequently spending our own money, putting up with unbelievable crap and often called “crazy” for even caring about cats. That’s okay, but really, those who do nothing to improve society should not criticize those who are doing something. Be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Encourage someone to fix their pet, put out a bowl of water/food for a stray, or maybe volunteer at a local rescue. There is simply no act of kindness that can ever be considered too small.

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. Join our Pets Facebook group to keep up with all of our pet articles.

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.