SPCA International Shelter of the Week

The Best Little Cat House in PA has been made a "Shelter of the Week" by SPCA International.

The link is here  SPCA International Shelter of the Week

The last few months have been very trying for Lynn and this award coming at this time is the icing on the cake.

Soon be Penguin Plunge Time

January the 1st is Penguin Plunge Day in Harrisburg. What is the Penguin Plunge? It's where a load of people run into the freezing cold Susquehanna River on City Island in aid of charities. Some years the ice has be broken to allow them to get wet! And they do it year after year for charity.

Susquehanna River, New Years Day 2000 and something. Looks cold doesn't it! Trust me, it was!

Some wear silly clothes.

Some wear very little.

Clothes or not the end result is wet, very wet and cold.

Well there you have it, some people support charities by doing something about it, some people give. You can do something too. What you do is entirely up to you but if you're in the Harrisburg area on New Years Day do stop by City Island to watch them get wet. Have I ever done it myself? Hell no! I'm not crazy.

Severe cuteness alert

Surprised Kitty @ Yahoo! Video

Lynn's Christmas Poem

Every year in October or November Lynn writes a Christmas Poem which is mailed out to all our supporters along with a fridge magnet. This year is no exception , the poem is out at the printers and Lynn is busy addressing envelopes right now. If you would like a copy of the poem and fridge magnet send me an email giving your name and address and I'll make sure you get added to the list.

To email us view the Complete Profile Page.

The cat  graphics I use from time to time on the website  http://www.thebestlittlecathouseinpa.com/ come from Cat Stuff  http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/graphics.htm which is a superb site for cat related graphics. Thank you Cat Stuff!

Bella

As Bella's a he obviously not named after the Twilight Bella but after Bella Lugosi I would imagine. He is as blind as the proverbial bat, or so we thought. It was a rainy miserable evening and as I was there taking a few pictures I particularly wanted to get a shot of Bella as he is such a lovely cat. He normally hangs out in Lynn's room but there was no sign of him there, we looked in the wildlife room ( empty of baby bunnies until spring), we looked in the downstairs of the Well Room, we looked in the upstairs of the Well Room, we went outside onto the enclosed porch area in the rain, we looked in the playhouse in the porch. We were calling him and then from above came a little meow. We looked up and there he was on the topmost shelf. How he got up there we have no idea as each of the 3 shelves is at least 3 feet above the other. Lynn went and got the ladder and got him down and dried him off. Maybe he's not as blind as we were told!

Raison de etre

As previously mentioned the main purpose of the Best Little Cat House in PA is to provide a final home to cats that would otherwise be euthanized. Lynn's goal is to have an FIV and FeLV free world, she's a nurse by vocation as well as training. The vast majority of individuals that bring us cats have taken a cat to their vets and have been given the devasting news that their much loved pet has FIV or FeLV. Most vet's recommend euthanasia, they are very cognisant of the need to prevent further spread of these highly infectious diseases. If the cat is alone in a household and is strictly confined indoors this is the best possible solution. In many cases however the cat could infect others. Lynn knows that most people in this situation find it almost impossible to kill a 'healthy' pet. So what do they do, they either take it home to infect other pets or release it to infect other cats. Spay and neuter volunteers are no different, they would find it hard to kill a seemingly healthy cat. Lynn provides them with a way out of the horrible situation they find themselves in. In their owners eyes the cats have a good chance of some extra time in a place where they can be looked after by people who care. By taking them into the Best Little Cat House Lynn is removing the cat from society as it were, they are no longer spreading these horrible diseases to other cats.



This is the raison de etre of the Best Little Cat House in PA. Some would not understand it, thats OK, Lynn has the opposite opinion, one which I and many other people give thanks for.

Facts about the Best Little Cat House in PA

Fact #1. The Best Little Cat House in PA is in it's 30th year of operation. Lynn Stitt started caring for homeless cats in 1979.

Fact #2. The Best Little Cat House in PA is an IRS 501 (c) 3 'Not for Profit' organization. We do not receive any State, Federal or Local Government funding, it all comes from donations and out of our own pockets. We do NOT make any charge for accepting a cat. It is not a business, it never has been and never will be. It is run entirely by unpaid volunteers. It is not associated with any other shelter other than the Bunny People.

Fact #3. The mission statement :-

To give quality and loving care to terminally ill animals where no other housing option existed. Let them die with dignity and respect.

Now what does this mean? The main focus of the Best Little Cat House is to provide a final home to cats that would otherwise be euthanized. Spay and Neuter groups bring FIV or FeLV positive cats to us. They can't release them as that would just enable these horrible diseases to spread even further amongst the feline population. What are the options? These are mostly feral cats, they have probably survived a North East winter or two, probably never had a good meal in their lives. What do you think their choice would be? Death there and then or just maybe a warm bed, a full belly and a place to stretch their legs without fear of getting run over. The Best Little Cat House does not do adoptions, it is a hospice, a last resort for many cats.

Fact #4. FIV and FeLV cats are housed together. In an ideal world we would have an area for FIV and an area for FeLV AND a separate area for cats that have both FIV and FeLV. Often we get cats that have both AIDs and Leuk, Moose was one of my favorites and he lived a good while. Sadly we don't live in an ideal world. Non infectious cats are housed in a totally separate area. These include blind, old, diabetic and otherwise unwanted cats.

Fact #5. Lynn Stitt is an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse). She has worked on the Psychiatric Ward at a local hospital for the last 29 years.

Fact #6. Individuals or groups bringing cats are given a tour of the facility on arrival. They are invited to ask any questions, they are given the option of leaving their cat or taking it away with them. If they opt to leave the cats we ask them to sign a surrender form. To anyone who thinks this is unusual I suggest they phone around and ask any other shelter in Pennsylvania. A lot of shelters will euthanize a cat 10 minutes after it's been dropped of. Individuals do not bring in cats to the Best Little Cat House on the spur of the moment. They have often had days and weeks to think about it before the next scheduled intake day. We are not a boarding facility, if you want to leave a cat for a few days they are many suitable boarding facilities that will charge you for the privilege.

Fact #7. We do not allow return visits. Why not? Many reasons. The majority of the cats are feral, they are often distressed by people. The cats are not housed behind bars in neat little cages, they can go in and out onto the enclosed porch area in the fresh air or in the warmth of the downstairs or upstairs. Visitors frighten them and injuries to the cats or visitors could occur. Some of the cats are very affectionate. One-eyed Jack in particular loves to claw his way up your leg, it's all highly amusing to most people unless you are on coumadin (a blood thinner) and cant stop bleeding. This is fact, it happened. The Best Little Cat House is their home, it is not a zoo. The volunteers are there for the cats, not to deal with the emotional needs of their former owners.

Fact # 8. Wildlife. Lynn works under a State and Federally Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator and treats Squirrels, Possums and Rabbits which are released back into the wild as soon as possible.

Little Red

I got to hold Little Red this morning.

Her story is here :- http://blog.artistinn.com/2009/10/tale-of-two-kitties.html

It's always nice when someone appreciates the efforts of Lynn and the volunteers at the Best Little Cat House in PA.

I let Jan her former owner know that she is well and settling in very well.

Pictures

Badger a favorite Cat House resident was rescued from somewhere in Louisiana following hurricane Katrina. He has a habit of slapping anyone who reaches out to stroke him, or anyone in the vicinity for that matter! Once you get past this little quirk he loves to be held but will slap you when you put him down. His best friend is Ginger and they hang out together.

Badger

Ginger

Assorted Kitties from yesterday.

I never wanted to do this ....

I really did not ever want to blog anything. Seem a stupid word to me, BLOG , I hate going into WaWa, a filling station chain here in Pennsylvania, I will avoid going into WaWa if there's a Sheetz or Rutters or Turkey Hill just because it's a stupid name. I just dont have to time to do what I want to do at the best of times but circumstances dictate otherwise. So here I am a blogger. Groan.

Well this is the Best Little Cat House in PA. the website is here. :-www.thebestlittlecathouseinpa.com