Imagine being homeless. Picture not having a warm bed to sleep in, safe shelter from the harsh elements, or not knowing when your next meal will be. Imagine you can’t express your needs; how hungry or how cold you are; how frightened and alone you feel. You’re unable to ask for help, because you don’t have a human voice to speak with; you’re an animal.
Sadly, that’s exactly how thousands of homeless cats live each day, and sadder still, I’m not exaggerating. Every year thousands of animals suffer. Worse, thousands more are euthanized due to lack of homes and shelter space, but even sadder still, the problem is continually worsening each day. Complicating the problem is that many people who could help remedy the situation by spaying or neutering their pets, do not, and therefore add to the population of already existing thousands of homeless and abandoned animals. It’s a sad and unfortunate cycle, but thankfully, one that can be remedied, if pet owners and others willing to help, choose to be a part of the solution instead of adding to the pet overpopulation.
It’s Our Fifth Anniversary! It is five years this July, 2007 since I first wrote the following letter to friends and neighbors due to this harsh fact, and due to the local animal shelter closing it’s doors back in April 2002. After many sleepless nights, I decided I had to do something in my area, then left with no local operating animal shelter, and in July of 2002, founded Kitty Cat Lane Rescue out of my home. After all, that was how the last shelter I was a part of started out, and from their small beginnings, they remained open and performed a vital service for 25 years. I figured that even if I could only run Kitty Cat Lane as a rescue at first, verses a full shelter building, that every small bit would help, and hopefully, over the years, my work would grow. Even if it remained small I thought; even if I rescued only a dozen or two cats, well, those few dozen cats would be better off than they originally were and I could do some small part to help. Fortunately, now celebrating our fifth year anniversary this July 2007, we are growing slowly but surely and have been able to help feed and rescue many cats and kittens that come our way! Hopefully, as the word continues to get out to other fellow friends of animals through our website, craft fairs, and my newspaper columns, we can continue to rescue many other homeless cats and provide more services within our community!
To Our Friends, Neighbors & fellow Animal Lovers,
After the closing of two of our local Animal Shelters in Southern Maine within two years, the communities they’ve served are now left with fewer options for the care and the safety of homeless pets. Even before their closing, Southern Maine had a great need for additional animal care facilities, with the number of homeless and abandoned animals rapidly increasing over recent years. The need for a local operating shelter is now more urgent than ever! While many of our neighboring towns once relied on a nearby facility, they must now choose between fewer remaining shelters that are several miles further away, & who also do not practice a No Kill policy. They feel they have no choice with the large amount of surrendered and rescued animals that pass through their doors.
Many of you may know me as Nancy, The Pet Lady from my Pet Spots radio tips, or from my Ask the Pet Lady columns in the Marlee Animal Rescue newsletter Stray Thoughts. Anyone who knows me is well aware of my love for animals, as I’ve been involved with Animal Welfare for as long as I can remember, (including rescuing and adopting an entire household of once homeless pets myself over the past 24 years!) Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always enjoyed getting involved with the local animal shelters; volunteering where I could, including being a member of the Marlee Board of Directors for 6 years when I lived in North Berwick, and then Newfield. Both of these towns and others surrounding, from the Berwicks, and Acton to Shapleigh, were towns that brought their homeless cats and dogs to Marlee for many years until their recent closing in April.
In my neighborhood alone, we have a growing problem with homeless cats; many are feral, others are frightened from being abandoned; once having a home of their own, only to be left behind to fend for themselves for some sad reason. I’ve been doing my best to feed them & provide water, but as my family already includes 18 indoor cats and a dog, (2 of which are diabetic cats and two cats are unsocial ferals,) along with another cat I’m still fostering for Marlee, I sadly can not provide any more of these poor cats with a permanent home. I know of many similar neighborhoods throughout So. Maine with this same problem, unable to provide for or cope with these situations. We desperately need a rescue facility in our area to help resolve this growing problem; at least initially for cats, since we don’t have the same problem with large colonies of feral dogs running around loose! (Thank goodness!)
I’d like to invite you to join me in my efforts to begin fund raising for a local feline rescue shelter. The need is essential, not only for an area shelter, but I'd like to make it a very special and unique feline care sanctuary. This will be a one of a kind cat haven; not only a shelter for homeless cats, but a controlled cat community and feline retirement refuge! Two things have always bothered me being a longtime cat Mom & also being involved with shelters over the years. I know many have shared my first concern; what would happen to my pets should anything happen to me? So many times I’ve talked with other pet parents who wish there were pet care retirement homes in case the unthinkable happened and our beloved pets were to outlive us. There actually are such places, but they are few and far between, and are very expensive and difficult to get in to with space very limited. The other thing is how shelters have been housing cats for years; in cages. Now I’ve heard all the arguments about maintaining order and keeping illness down, but I’ve also maintained a large multi cat household for many years with no problems, because I follow common sense rules with newcomers and am constantly educated on current health issues to keep my feline family safe and healthy. Life in a cage is sad and lonely and being homeless is rough enough, so why can’t cats be in small manageable communities within the shelter? There’s no reason they can’t be! Particularly once they’ve been initially isolated upon arrival and have a clean bill of health. After that period and except for health issues where separation is necessary, or a few other exceptions, this will be a cage free environment! We will, of course, be a No Kill Shelter, and will also be a retirement home for unadopted resident cats and for member’s cats who are looking for a retirement haven! There will be various cat rooms throughout for different needs, all with play areas and cat trees for fun and relaxation, so every cat’s stay is an enjoyable one!
Please join me to help make “Kitty Cat Lane” a reality! So many more homeless cats are depending on the kindness of others to make their lives happy and safe! Other shelters are already overburdened with extra animals they must now take in from more towns, and sadly, the consequences will be paid by those that are euthanized due to lack of space, or are abused, or must resort to living outdoors because the nearest shelter is too far away for some. Death should not be an option just because a facility gets over crowded! We need a new No Kill shelter here in Southern Maine! Please help us if you can! Together we can make a difference! Thank you!! Nancy Parks-Smith
It was the week before Christmas, And all through the city Everybody was shopping For gifts sweet and pretty. All were preparing For a bright Christmas day, Spending time with their loved ones For a happy holiday!
But right down on Elm Street, On Garland Road, too, Were three homeless kitties - Jake, Tom, and Leelu. They were cold and quite hungry With no food to eat, All matted and lonely, With no bed for sleep.
Tiny tummies, so empty, Frail bodies, so cold, Not long on this earth But yet feeling so old. The wind, it was howling. The snow, cold and wet. How they wished in their heart They could be someone’s pet.
For a place safe and warm, And a family to love - If they had but one wish From the Dear Lord above; They would wish for a home, To be loved, safe and fed, And to cuddle up nights In a soft, cozy bed.
But now here comes Matthew; (A handsome Maine Coon,) And he’s licking his paws Getting ready to groom. Why, he doesn’t look hungry - He looks quite well fed. He told Jake, Tom and Leelu He slept in a warm bed!
Matthew told the 3 kitties - Here’s what you should do. I’ll show you a place to find food, And help, too. You see, there’s this Lady, (Cuz I met her, you see,) And she feeds homeless kitties Like you and like me.
If you let her, she’ll take you And bring you indoors. She cleaned me and brushed me, And fed me some more. And I slept safe and warm In her house for the night. And she held me and said That things would be all right.
See, she started a rescue, And will feed us each day, And is saving to buy us A place we can all stay. A place safe and warm To help cats who need homes, So we won’t have to worry About being alone.
And we won’t live in cages, But in rooms, ‘til we find A permanent home With a family that’s kind. And if we can’t find one We want for our own We can still stay and live In her retirement home!
So tell all your friends - Cats and human friends too, That we need all their help, Cuz we’ve got lots to do! Tell the cats when they’re hungry They can get a nice meal. Then tell people you know Just how lonely we feel.
That we do need a shelter Up this way, you know. We need a safe home For us kitties to go. When it’s cold and we’re hungry, With no place to stay, On these blustery nights, Or the cold snowy days.
Please help, if you can. On you we depend. There are so many kitties Who need a best friend. Alone we can do little, But together we can do much! And when we all work together Many lives we can touch!
Please help be a part of building a new No Kill shelter in Southern Maine! Help improve the lives of homeless cats through the Rescue called Kitty Cat Lane!
Author: Nancy Parks-Smith, Founder
Let’s Get Together! Would you like to help homeless cats and meet new friends in the process? Let’s rendezvous and brain storm together for new fundraising ideas and fun volunteer opportunities. If you can build or paint donation boxes, sew catnip toys, gather raffle items, organize a cat food drive, help transport bottles and cans to JD’s Redemption for our ongoing bottle drive, or help with any number of other ways, we’d appreciate your ideas, help and talents! Please call or email me for more information. Together we CAN make a difference! Thank you!
Kitty Cat Lane Rescue
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