Caring for Cats: A Place of Hope, Compassion and Well-Being
A priest, a rabbi and a cat walk into a bar. The priest orders a Virgin Bloody Mary on the rocks. The rabbi orders a Manischewitz Red Wine Slushy. The cat orders a bowl of milk with a dash of tuna, plus a sprig of catnip. As the bartender is mixing drinks, the cat requests a few chicken treats be added to the bowl---not turkey but chicken---and not white meat but dark meat. When the drinks come, the priest and the rabbi hold up their glasses for a toast. The cat looks at the specially prepared bowl with disdain and disgust---and walks out.
Those of us who love cats, know this scenario all too well. It’s what we love about them----they’re not afraid to speak their minds or change their minds.
Caring for Cats is a shelter in North St. Paul that caters to the every need and whim of cats and kittens----and has been doing so for 23 years. Their motto is that they “pre-spoil” the cats and kittens for prospective adopters. And every volunteer, board member and donor supports this behavior. Why? Because they love cats.
In 2020, Caring for Cats was the recipient of a large endowment enabling the organization to expand in unimaginable ways. A building was purchased and renovated, designed with the cats’ best interests in mind, of course.
The building was laid out with Feng Shui principles; dowsing revealed the placement of both positive and negative vortexes. Low VOC paint was used on the walls; LED lighting was installed throughout; and a sound system plays calming cat music (yes, there is such a thing).
The building has a special HVAC system to keep infections from spreading throughout the shelter. One of the two isolation rooms assures that contagious diseases are contained; the other gives cats a quiet time to heal and recover after a medical procedure.
You won’t see many cages at the shelter but rather rooms----9 to be specific. Cats are profiled according to whether they like other cats as companions or whether they prefer to be alone. Kittens are placed in the “Kitten Room” (which now has a 24/7 live-cam if you want to watch the action) or the Shy Room where there are other shy kitties or a Private Room where a cat will enjoy the quiet and privacy of being alone.
If a cat seems to have a behavior issue that the volunteers can’t resolve, an animal communicator is called in to “talk” to the kitty. Getting to the bottom of the feline’s issues can help a cat adjust plus the volunteers can then help resolve whatever issue the cat may be experiencing.
Since 2015, a team of Reiki healers work with the cats formally twice a month. Many of these healers are already volunteers at the shelter so are often doing healing work whenever they are with the cats, not just on the formal Reiki evenings. Nothing short of miracles has happened during these Reiki sessions.
Two years ago, Caring for Cats earned international recognition for their literacy program called Cat Tales: Kids Reading to Cats. Long-time volunteer Karen Brown put together a twice-a-month Sunday afternoon program where children who are struggling to learn how to read come to the shelter and read out loud to the cats. We are not sure who enjoys this the most----the kids, the cats, or their parents. Rest assured that reading skills have vastly increased due to this program.
Caring for Cats is an all-volunteer, no-kill shelter. Over 200 cats are adopted out each year, only after they’ve had complete medical care (vaccinations, spay or neuter procedures, dental work, etc.) and have been profiled (as mentioned above). The organization relies totally on donations.
You can visit the shelter by appointment where someone will be happy to give you a tour where you can see for yourself how all the cats are loved. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to have one of them ignore and disdain you while you’re there.
Donations are accepted on-line at
www.caringforcatsmn.org. Sponsorships are available if you want to sponsor one of our felines. Check out our information on the website.
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