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.

There is only just over a month left before the Fall Open House and the preparations are well underway. We, of course, still in need items for the silent auction but we know you guys will not let us down. We look forward to seeing the unique and innovative donations that you guys always manage to come up with for the auction. It is due to you, our faithful donors and supporters, that the auction is always a major moneymaker for the cats. We are also seeking donations of large baskets/containers suitable for creating gift baskets. We also need volunteers!! Please Contact: tammy@cathouseonthekings[dot]com

Calendars on Sale Now!
The 2019 Cat House on the Kings Calendar is now on sale! Free shipping in the USA, and International shipping is also available. Calendars make marvelous gifts for that special cat-lover in your life! A great way to support our rescue!

Have you seen the new Purrito shirts? They are so “freakin’” adorable you really must have one! They will be on sale at The Cat House on the Kings Autumn/Holiday Open House on November 3! It is a super time to start that holiday shopping while helping support the many hungry mouths The Cat House has to feed. With winter on the way, our heating bill is always astronomical!

Please don’t forget about the raffle for the (size 7) ruby and diamond ring. It’s worth $4,800! Tickets are only $1! You can keep it, gift it or sell it. 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., in which case, the winner will have to cover the cost of postage and insurance.

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. Send raffle questions to: info@cathouseonthekings[dot]com

Lynea is Hitting the Big Screen
Jack Perez, who made the original Cat House on the Kings video that went viral, is making a cool new movie starring Lucy Davis (Wonder Woman, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and LYNEA! The movie has an animal rights message with a happy ending at where else? The Cat House on the Kings! Jack is donating a portion of the profits to the Cat House. Learn more here: igg.me/at/searchandrescuefilm/shre/19475081

$20 Spays and Neuters for Fresno County Residents
There is still time to take advantage of this limited time offer to spay and/or neuter your cats(s) for a mere $20! The Bogart grant was made possible thanks to a monetary legacy left by our dear friend, Linda Clendenen, in honor of her feline companion, Bogart. Linda adopted Bogart from The Cat House and she loved him dearly. Linda will be missed very much, and The Cat House is so honored to have known such a fine woman. For a referral, please call 638-0490 for Reedley, Fowler, Selma and 559-999-8238 for Fresno, Clovis area.

New Procedures for Spays and Neuters
There have been some major changes implemented for the spaying and neutering program. Now when you call for an appointment, you will be given a referral to the appropriate vet and then you will call the vet and make the appointment yourself. You will also transport the animal to and from the vet’s office rather than dropping it off at The Cat House. Unfortunately, The Cat House will no longer be offering low-cost vaccinations, flea or worming treatments. These services will now be handled at the veterinarian’s office. The Cat House is very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Buying or Selling Your House?
The Cat House on the Kings just received a donation of $1,862 from Home for Change.com because Sherri from Southern California chose to designate us as her charity of choice when selling her home through them! If you are considering buying or selling a home, please visit this website to select a realtor that will donate at least 5% of their commission to The Cat House on the Kings! In this case, they donated 7% … THANK YOU!!! If you are a realtor, you can sign up to participate: homeforchange.com

Over 1,000 Kittens Rescued!
Lots of kittens were rescued by The Cat House this year. So far, the numbers have reached 1,085 and the year isn’t quite over yet. Kittens rescued from a construction site, a lone kitten being sprayed with water by a gardener, four cats shoved in one tiny carrier and left on The Cat House doorstep, a small dog running near the freeway, a cat severely injured when caught in the motor of a car, a young brother/sister Siamese duo dumped at a local gas station – it just goes on and on.

One young kitten came in with severe burns on its paws and stomach. The claws were burned down to the toe line. It was surmised that the kitten had inadvertently jumped onto the grill of a taco truck while searching for food. The rescuer called a friend who happened to be the niece of the lady who cares for the cats at the feral refuge. (It’s a small town, her brother lives next door to The Cat House) She rushed the kitten to Lynea, who of course immediately began to treat it. The rescuer told my friend that he overheard the taco truck person(s) laughing about how they were annoyed by the kitten and deliberately held the kitten on the grill to discourage it from coming around. There are some very sick people going around masquerading as actual human beings. “Burnadette” is recovering very well and will eventually be available for adoption.

Burnadette

“You just never know what the day will bring.” A couple was taking a walk through an alley behind the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools building after lunch. What sounded like a bird chirping led them into a rescue mission for a tiny motherless kitten.

Thinking of adopting? Now is the perfect time! Due to a bountiful “harvest” this year, we’ve temporarily reduced the adoption fee for kittens. One kitten is $50, and a pair are just $75! If over 7 months old, only $35. Online application is required for all of our kitties.

Cat Tails
I’m hoping that I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel – sort of. Just when some would leave, more would come. I finally had to cut off any more incoming cats because I ran out of places to put them. I am simply full and have been focusing on maintaining the current group while I work on placement. Minor medical issues have kept some of the kittens from leaving. A miscommunication has left me stuck with a mom and three kittens I thought were only here for two weeks. I was asked to do a favor for someone of catching a mom and her two kittens, which resulted in me being stuck with those two kittens. I don’t remember the person even saying thank you, much less offering a donation for my time and efforts. I mean, seriously, they could have a least tossed a bag of Kitten Chow my way.

Bottle baby kitten Annie

Five kittens headed out to a coastal rescue earlier this month. That same day I got a call that three newborn kittens were left at a local dog shelter. I couldn’t leave them there, so I picked them up. Then I notice a small, fluffy gray kitten. He is sitting all alone in a cage, surrounded by barking dogs. They told me he was blind. Well, I could not leave him there either. I brought the sweet boy home and because of his fabulous hair, named him Fabio. He is very calm and trusting. A very generous donor paid for him to go to the vet. He has no eye at all in one socket, and the other we aren’t sure. The vet said it is likely the result of an untreated eye infection. I carry Fabio around in a sort of sling I fashioned from an old scarf. I think he likes it. His walking is a bit strange but I’m not sure if it is because he is unsure of where he is going or if he has mobility issues. I hope to find a suitable placement for Fabio.

Fabio

Arthur is up for adoption

I was able to place one of the friendly cats living at the feral refuge with a family to call his own. Cosmo is a large, friendly, fluffy black and white stray who came to a shelter with a strip of skin missing all the way down his back. He recovered nicely, and the hair grew back. Now he has a new home as an inside/outside cat where he will assist his new people with keeping the rodent population under control.

Cosmo

Until next month, a bit of cat trivia. Fish is not a natural food for cats because a cat can actually become addicted to it, and some cats will become allergic to it. I’m reading a very interesting book called The Cat Who Couldn’t See in the Dark. It is full of veterinary mysteries and advice on feline care and behavior. One woman in the book said her cat had been itching and scratching for six years and neither she nor her vet could figure out why. After finding out she was feeding the cat almost exclusively tuna fish, the vet told her to stop. The cat had become allergic to it, and thus began the itching issues. Of course. the cat rebelled and wouldn’t eat the new cat food until hunger finally won out and the cat eventually ate it. Viola! Within a few weeks, the woman reported that the cat was a completely new cat. No more itching and a better-natured cat who finally seemed happy. Wow!

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.