The Cat House on the Kings gives beloved cats and dogs a second chance at a home
A great deal of Chevys Fresh Mex customers celebrated April Fools’ Day by donating 25 percent of their total food ticket to the largest no-kill cat and dog sanctuary in California.
The Cat House on the Kings is a non-profit corporation that houses cats and dogs in an open environment over 12 acres. The sanctuary also serves as an adoption center.
Volunteer Kelly Jones helped organize the event, and she said she was pleased to see groups of people giving their time and Friday evening to help the animals.
“We are known throughout the world and take in animals from Hong Kong to Saudi Arabia,” Jones said. “There is no one like us in the United States.”
The River Park restaurant greeted customers during business hours, and were pleased to donate a portion of the customer’s bill toward The Cat House on the Kings.
“Chevys general manager Orlando Jr. donates a generous 25 percent to non-profits for events,” Jones said. “Also, it is a family friendly restaurant with great tasting food, average prices and a big heart to help out the community.”
Donations will go toward several different areas of need for the cats and dogs. Cats are allowed to roam inside of the five-bedroom house or wander outside and climb through trees.
“We were under our goal for the evening, but still raised $400 plus ”” which will help feed half of the cat house animals for one day,” Jones said.
If you missed the opportunity to visit Chevys last week, there are still several ways to help The Cat House on the Kings.
I’m one of the many people who donate $15 a month to an adult cat from The Cat House on the Kings. One-time donations are also welcomed in any amount. Scoopable litter, cat or dog canned-food, bedding, bleach, paper towels or pine cleaner are also some items on their wish list.
According to the mission statement on The Cat House on the Kings website, “Our mission is to place rescued cats and kittens into loving, permanent homes; to provide a safe, happy and healthy home for unwanted cats and kittens in a unique, no-cage facility; to prevent pet overpopulation through spaying and neutering; and to educate the public about responsible pet ownership.”
Jones said that Fresno is the third largest city with the highest euthanasia rate. The Cat House on the Kings vaccinates every animal for the remainder of their lives, and they also spay and neuter every animal that comes through the door.
“Here in the Valley alone 70,000 animals are euthanized every 12 months on average, and could have been prevented if animals were spayed and neutered,” Jones said.
Jones added that they do trades and animal exchanges in order to prevent euthanasia in shelters.
In addition to saving the lives of more than 18,000 cats and 5,000 dogs over the past 19 years, The Cat House on the Kings was on an Animal Planet TV series “Must Love Cats.” The host John Fulton travels to different regions across the United States; and The Cat House on the Kings was added recently to the west coast list.
People who want to open their hearts to animals, but may not have the room to house a pet for life, can foster a litter of kittens until they’re old enough to be adopted.
Two kittens lived with me over winter break 2009. I was responsible for their growth by feeding them and giving them a warm and loveable environment to live in. The two kittens only stayed with me for a month, but I hope I made a lasting impression in their young lives.
“It just takes one litter to create euthanasia for 10-plus healthy and young or even older animals to be put down at the SPCA,” Jones said. “Don’t breed or buy while shelter animals die.”
If you’re looking for a furry companion, look no further than The Cat House on the Kings ”” located in Parlier, Calif. on Kings River Road.
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Mr. Kim • Jan 6, 2012 at 7:03 pm
Hello Janessa Tyler,
Thanks you for your post, During the Katrina evacuation from the Superdome in New Orleans, thousands of people were pushed up against barricades trying to get a seat on a bus that would take them out of a hell hole. Amongst the pushing bodies a little boy held on to a small dog. The were both frightened, hungry and thirsty. Hope abounded when the busses finally started trickling in. Then adroitly a police officer confiscated the little boy’s dog. Dogs are not allowed on the bus. As the dog was pried from his hands the child squealed in anguish “Snowball, Snowball.. ” and was so overcome with grief he vomited.
Catch you again soon!
Anonymous • Apr 6, 2011 at 8:37 pm
There is a lot of good info here, and even more important to highlight The Cat House in contrast to other mainstream adoption agencies that, unbeknown to many, euthanize animals that are not adopted. And I never thought there could possibly be any reason to go eat terrible mexican food at Chevy’s, but perhaps this is one.
There are some contradictions, though, in the way we look at this issue. The issue of the well-being of animals, or better yet domesticated pets, shows itself as mostly a human superiority complex — that is, we care for the sentient animals that we feel an emotional connection to. We don’t advocate these sorts of concerns for farm animals; we view their death as part of human existence. I bet lab retriever tastes as good as chicken, but no one would consider killing dogs for food as being “humane.” Intelligence can’t be a justified reason for which animals deserve ethical consideration, or why wouldn’t we kill retarded humans?
I also agree that neutering dogs and cats is both practical and pragmatic, but who would advocate this for human babies? I’m not equating dogs with humans, but the same logic could apply, yet we don’t even consider “neutering’ reproduction capabilities of young children we think will produce unwanted babies.
Also, I agree that it seems wrong to breed dogs and cats when there are thousands of adoptable dogs or cats within a 50 mile radius. But again, there are millions of unwanted human babies, many of them in shelters, who are without a home. Should we deter couples who want to produce their own baby from having one? It would make sense to do so — that is, for the well being of already born babies — yet this is not a conversation we are willing to have.
We can’t (or shouldn’t) have it both ways, no matter how hard us humans want our cake and to eat it too.