The Great Kitty Rescue

Re: Finding the Nye County Rescue Blogs

feralfriend — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:11:27 GMT

Here is the Cover Girl and Friends Blog http://network.bestfriends.org/blogs/feralfriend1463/default.aspx

Keeping up-to-date with Kitty Mo

jhayes — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:14:47 GMT

To know the cats of Kitty Motel (including those from the Great Kitty Rescue) is to love them. But for those of us who don't live in Kanab, our opportunities to hear updates on how our favorite felines are doing has been limited. Well, fret no longer. You can now get your virtual Kitty Mo "fix" on Facebook.

Cat World caregiver, Tammy Yamada, started working at Best Friends only about three months ago and has really fallen for her charges at Kitty Motel. To give you a little background, she was an actress on the television program, "House M.D." and appeared in every episode for the first five seasons (she's says she's easy to spot, "find an Asian pig-tailed nurse who always rushes in when the doctors go, 'Nurse!'".)

Like many who work at Best Friends, after volunteering at the sanctuary, she decided this was the place for her and applied. Fortunately for her and the cats, she got the job. However, she in the course of her duty, she regularly heard phrases such as:

"I had a great time visiting Kitty Motel (at Cat World) and wish I could do so more often, but I'm a thousand miles away!"

"I did a sleep-over with Wolfi at Kitty Mo and wanna' know how they are doing."

"I heard Kitty Motel is a 'special needs' building. Are they [in a] very sad and depressing hospital-like place?"

Smitten herself, and knowing how much people cared about the Kitty Motel residents, Yamada wanted an outlet to answer such questions as well as share stories and photos with the cats' fans. So she created a Kitty Motel Facebook page.

"You can meet our adorable kitty-cats with great personalities and bundle of energy from your own computer anytime you wish," notes Yamada. "We post stories, news and pictures daily and you can also meet and share your stories and pix with other Kitty Motel fans."

In only a few short weeks, the page has well over 100 fans. And don't feel like you have to have ever visited Kitty Motel to join. Everyone is welcome and you can't help but become a devoted fan of these very special kitties once you see Yamada's photos and descriptions.

So Facebook members, become a Kitty Motel fan today. Just click here or search "Kitty Motel" on Facebook.

And remember, the Kitty Motel residents are available for adoption, so check out the Best Friends Adorable Adoptables.

Photos of Great Kitty Rescue cats living in Kitty Motel by Tammy Yamada and Jennifer Hayes, listed from top down

Danielle Hartill Remembers The Great Kitty Rescue

scratchtopaz — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:21:37 GMT

In this series, volunteers and staff share their thoughts on saving cats in Pahrump, two years later.

Danielle Hartill remembers the 'cat train' and the special feeling of gratitude...

For me, I think the highlight of the Pahrump experience were the volunteers. Especially the ones that came out every weekend to help with adoption events! They would get there bright and early in the morning to help us load up the cats into the truck. We had a special 'cat train,' where everyone would line up and hold a crate in the front and a crate in the back. This allowed us to move out the cats in their crates so much faster than if everyone just carried one crate. And the most amazing things was that every single person had a smile on their face. They would then follow us to the event and help get set up, clean the crates and talk to the public about the cats.

Since many of them had worked at the site, they knew SO much about the cat's personalities, likes and dislikes. There were volunteers who showed up every morning with food for the people, clean bedding and toys for the cats. We had a buffet everyday! Then at the end of the day, they would help us load everyone back up and break down the adoption event. From putting up tents to scooping litter pans, they did it all!

And my second favorite part was driving back to the site to a round of applause for all the cats that had found homes that day. Sitting around in the front of the site, the staff there loved to hear about each and every cat's new forever home. There was such a feeling of accomplishment and joy; it will truly stick with me for a very long time.

Photos by Best Friends photographer

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Molly Thayer

scratchtopaz — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:03:03 GMT

In this series, volunteers and staff share their thoughts on saving cats in Pahrump, two years later.

Molly Thayer gives her insight to the experience:

Q. WHAT WILL YOU NEVER FORGET?

Arriving at Pahrump, seeing the hundreds of cats loose in the yard during the week I was there before they were herded into buildings.

During a wind storm, seeing the bunkhouse draped around one of the buildings, the easy-up blocking Shelly Thayer and Sherry Woodard’s exit from the motor home, my gate held so tightly by the wind that it took all my strength to get out to go to the rescue. (I know that there were worse storms after I left for Kanab.)

Being asked by Sharon to go to Kanab to continue working through the winter.

Three Sundays in a row when we and the yurts were buried in serious snow.

The emotions that reign during a visit to our section of Angel’s Rest.

How incredibly hard the work was, and how I was able to do it alongside all the younger ones.

Seeing so many frightened cats change over time to be adoptable.

Q. WHICH CATS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Battista (formerly Hemlock) and Berto because they fill my life every day. (I adopted them.) The ones who didn’t make it: for some reason a special favorite of mine was Ale. And Bob. I named my newer motorhome after him.

Q. WHICH VOLUNTEERS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Robin Jackson, Gail Takahata, a lovely volunteer at the yurts named something like Nita who was near 80. Gail showed me so much, including how to do meds. For some reason, people thought I already knew how. I took that with me and am now able to help with meds at a local shelter.

Q. WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THEN?

How to do meds. Specifically, how to administer meds by crawling into cages with cats who, in their fear ,didn’t know better than to try to hurt us.

Cat handling in general.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF THE GREAT KITTY RESCUE?

That there is no understanding how the minds of some poor people work who would do such things to nonhuman animals, and that, thank goodness, there are so many more people with such huge hearts who will make huge sacrifices to come to the rescue.

Thank you to Barbara Williamson for organizing this wonderful retrospective.

Photos by Best Friends photographer & lead image of Great Kitty Rescue family members by Molly Thayer (pictured Berto the Tabby & Battista, formerly known as Hemlock)

Zachary Still Looking for Mr., Preferably, Ms. Right!

scratchtopaz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:04:54 GMT

Kathi Martin on the board of directors for Glendale Humane Society remembers Great Kitty Rescue, one little boy still waiting for his special someone...

On behalf of Glendale Humane Society (CA), I drove to Pahrump on 2 occasions and brought back 3 kitties each time, so we took a total of 6. I am so pleased to share with you that wonderful homes were found for five of the kitties. All adopters were carefully screened, we do not do same-day adoptions.

We still have Zachary, a beautiful 7 yr old black kitty, who is enjoying our cat room. However, we would love to find him a home! He's playful and just a ton of fun to be around. It's his turn to be the king of his own castle! If anyone is interested in Zachary, please click here (and scroll to the bottom), for his adoption profile.

Kiddies, hide your kittens, he's a real ladie's man!

Image courtesy of Glendale Humane Society

Remember Austin? It's ZyeDeCo!

scratchtopaz — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:27:01 GMT

Great Kitty Rescue cat update from Austin to ZyeDeCo by forever Mom, Heather Kolsara...

My fiance and I were able to volunteer 4 - 5 hours in Pahrump to help these kitties out. I had the choice of just being there with the kitties and help socialize them or go to the vet's place where some of the kitties were also. I chose to help socialize them. I've never seen so many cats in one place! I wanted to hold them all and kiss them and tell them they will be okay now. I have never seen such organization! Things were running so smoothly for Best Friends just taking over!

I got home and my visit still weighed heavily on my mind. I looked at the website over and over, wanting to adopt one, but I already had three cats and a puppy. In September I saw the web page for Austin and I just knew I had to have him! He was one of the kitties that were at the vet's in Pahrump when I was there. Austin liked to play and I had an over active puppy and at one time I did have four cats...so what was another? He was FIV+, but I knew he would not bite my other cats, and my cats are not fighters and I knew Best Friends would not send me a cat that bites knowing the situation he was going into. I checked into him often and then found out that he had a lump in his stomach and had to be moved to Best Friends to save the trip back and forth from Las Vegas to Pahrump to see the vet all the time. It was now Christmas time, not a good time to get a new animal. Things did not look good in getting to adopt him. Finally, I had my inspection and was cleared to get him.

The next thing I knew was that Best Friends was coming here with some animals in exchange for harder to adopt animals from Animal Ark. Austin would be on that truck and be here in a couple of days! If this wasn't a sign from above! I remember anxiously awaiting for that truck to arrive. I was there when they opened the door and there he was...on the botton left as you opened the door! I knew it was him! After all the cats were safely indoors, I finally got to hold him. I have never adopted a cat from a picture and description, but I knew he would be a lover and he was!

On the ride home, he never meowed, it's as if he knew he was going to a safe place and always would have plenty of food, water and love. My cats took right to him and he was okay with them. Since all my animals start with the letter "Z", I knew I would have to change his name. I decided ZyeDeCo - which he answered to by the fourth day! The "Zye" & "Co" is for Nye County where he came from and "De" is from a transgender friend of mine who is misunderstood like the FIV+ status is.

I can't thank Best Friends enough not only for doing what they did for all the kitties of The Great Kitty Rescue, but for getting ZyeDeCo to me! He is doing great and doles out leg rubs like you wouldn't believe. He has become the official greeter for all my friends that come over. He is such a lover boy and I'm so glad he is one of my "kids!"

High-five for FIV+ kitties: If you're looking into adopting a cat, I recommend an FIV+ one. Everyone that I have talked to says the same thing - that they are lovers and the best cat!

Little Bit Finds A Whole Lotta Love!

scratchtopaz — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:09:15 GMT

Great Kitty Rescue cat CC - redubbed Little Bit, gets all he needs from Judi Hanf and Kurt Incledon...

We adopted a scrawny little cat - then known as CC (Critical Care - because the Best Friends people didn't know if he would make it) from the local PetsMart here in Las Vegas. We named hime Little Bit, because he needed a little bit of love, little bit of food, little bit of just about everything. He, of course, was a little wary at first, but took to our house quite easily. Plenty of room to explore, comfortable temperature at all times, no need to worry about food and two loving people taking care of him.

Two years later, he runs the house and we happily have made him the most spoiled cat in creation! And we love every minute of it and him. He is the most loving, cuddly and affectionate cat we have ever seen. He had a few problems - deep ear infection and a few teeth problems, but he came through wonderfully.

Now I could not even imagine not having "Little Bit" around. He has given us more than a Little Bit of love. He has turned out to be the best cat and look at how gorgeous he is! He's the poster child for 'You've Come A Long Way, Baby!"

The Great Kitty Rescue Anniversary - We Want You!

scratchtopaz — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:53:01 GMT

Share your thoughts, photos and memories to help commemorate the love and courage that came together in Pahrump. Go back if you will, to the summer of 2007. Imagine a place in the arid desert where the temperatures average around 102 degrees in July - it's a dry heat, like an oven. It's an unforgiving terrain, difficult to endure for even the toughest of candidates. The town is known for its Laundromat owned by famed fallen madam, Heidi Fleiss. Which is rather funny considering the town's other claim to fame are legal brothels.

Plunk into the middle of this seemingly perfect Hollywood horror movie set-up, a scene of institutionalized hoarding: it's a full on nightmare, of very real proportions. This is what so many Best Friends volunteers and staff walked straight into, when the local agencies discovered the reality that was the compound for FLOCK (For The Love Of Cats & Kittens). They called Best Friends for help.

From new friends to dedicated old cronies, people of all walks of life came together. The people learned from the cats, the cats learned from the people, and the people came together to save as many lives as possible. A singular experience shared by so many.

The Great Kitty Rescue Anniversary is a chance to honor the cats that embodied bravery, courage and love. It's to celebrate the bonds and friendships made between people and cats alike. Were you at The Great Kitty Rescue? Did you have a favorite Pahrump kitty, or maybe a dozen? Did you follow the stories? Did you share an ash sandwich with a new friend, while the blazing sun melted your skin, but you got to pet Pistol! And it was one of your most vivid memories, ever? Share!

Click Here to read the story from the Best Friends Magazine, Nov/Dec 2007.

If you participated in the rescue and you already have a blog in the Nye County Cat site, we encourage you to write your own memories. If you don’t already have a blog, please take this as our invitation to do so now OR you also can contact our editor, Denise LeBeau and email her your recollections & accompanying images at denisel@bestfriends.org.

Photos by Best Friends photographer and Sandy Katz

Gabriel and Don Do the Texas Two Step!

scratchtopaz — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:18:34 GMT

Great Kitty Rescue ferals love the Lone Star state, Thundering Paws sanctuary director, Anne Zabolio catches us up with the dynamic duo...

Gabriel has found friends among the ferals here, among them Percy and Mercedes. We don't think Don is as social as Gabriel, but he has found a fine life in our screened enclosure which we call the 'Cat Run.' He has access to air conditioning and heating but usually prefers to be outside, even in 105 degree heat! The one exception to this is thunderstorm. We were standing in the room that leads out onto the Cat Run one rainy day and there was a tremendous clap of thunder. Don came bounding through the flap and ran straight for Gabriel! We were amazed first of all that anything frightened the imperial Don and second that he found solace with his old friend from Nevada.

One problem we are having is that Gabriel has a matted ridge of hair running down his back and, of course, he won't let us touch him to groom the problem. But he doesn't seem to mind. We call him our Rhodesian Ridgeback Cat.

We don't care if they are feral, as we love them anyway. Thank you for rescuing all those kitties in Nevada. We have a similar though, thankfully, smaller, situation here in Central Texas. A woman died, leaving close to 80 un-spayed/un-neutered cats on her property. The Blanco Cat Coalition of Blanco County, Texas, along with the Austin Humane Society, and Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary, are working on the problem, and slowly getting everyone fixed and vaccinated. Happily, everyone that has been tested so far has come up negative for FIV and feline leukemia.

Images courtesy of Kay Rolfes, Thundering Paws

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Pat Guerrero

scratchtopaz — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:42:10 GMT

Staffer Pat Guerrero shares her experience from The Great Kitty Rescue, including finding the good in people and the importance of the right equipment...

Q. What will you never forget?

When I arrived I ran into Frans Hoffman and Linda Swanson. They'd already been there for a week and looked utterly exhausted. The first thing Frans said was something like "this is worse than hoarding."

That first night, I followed Barb Williamson around in the dark with a water wagon. We filled up the water dishes for all of the cats out on the property perimeter. She was wearing one of those headlamps and I remember thinking that she was very prepared - it hadn't occurred to me to bring a headlamp.

Russ Mead lead a Memorial at the Pole, and the cats that had been in hiding all day started to come out as he started speaking and playing his flute. As the Memorial ended, one of the cats stretched up to the Pole and started clawing it, seemingly very comfortable and content. It was if he were saying "I am comfortable with you people" and made it made me think that eventually things were going to be all right.

Q. Which cats stick out in your mind and why?

A volunteer found a cat dead in a box in one of the buildings. The poor thing had crawled way into the back and died all alone. We didn't even know his name. After that, we took all of the boxes out of the buildings so the cats would no longer have places to hide.

Q. Which volunteers stick out in your mind and why?

So many: Patti Lindh came in her camper and stayed for three weeks; Gail and Roy Takahata drove from San Diego with a carload of supplies, having printed the "wish list" and gone on a shopping spree; Crystal Hall and Lora Muckin worked in Pahrump and then the Pussycat Lounge, where the first Pahrump cats landed when they arrived at Best Friends; Christina Zimmer was full of energy, willing to do anything; local residents Jerry and Linda Bell put in countless hours; Las Vegas residents, Chris and Julie Meenan and Glenn and Julie d'Eon, drove out to Pahrump on weekends. Many of the volunteers from Pahrump and Las Vegas hadn't been involved with Best Friends before, and have become invaluable volunteers helping with other projects since then.

Q. What do you know now that you didn't know then?

Next time I'll bring a headlamp. Let's hope there's no next time!

Q. What are the most important lessons of The Great Kitty Rescue?

There's evil in the world, but also a lot of good. I treasure the people that gave of themselves to help the cats in this horrific situation.

Photos by Best Friends photographers

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Anna Gonce

scratchtopaz — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:15:30 GMT

Anna Gonce was part of the Best Friends adoptions squad, not as easy as it sounds!

The most amazing thing about the Pahrump adoption events were the cats themselves. The weekend adoption events were always a blur that included more work than I ever could have imagined. And it was so chaotic. We would drive up in a big truck on a Friday afternoon. Then we would start grabbing cats as they roamed around this giant dust pit formerly known as FLOCK. Picking up cats that hand not been handled in who knows how long. And literally, we didn't know because there were no records on any of them. We had no history of their names, where they came from, what they liked, what they didn't like, or medical issues. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. They were without names, without a home. Truly, they were lost.

So we'd grab a cat and make up a name. Try to write a bio based on the little information we had learned about them since Best Friends landed on site. Which wasn't much. When you are taking care of hundreds of nameless cats, free roaming cats in the middle of the desert, it's hard to 'get to know them.' Then we'd put them in a cage and load them in the truck. This, in and of itself, was quite traumatic for these cats. Afterall, they had been living with almost no human contact or interaction. Not being handled for who know how long, and all of a sudden they are in a cage in the back of a truck rolling down the road.

For the first event, I totally expected a disaster. I thought we'd spend the day trying to calm down a bunch of hissing, thrashing cats panicked at being on display. And at first, it looked like my worst fears were going to come true. But after we unloaded everyone, got them set up on a table, cleaned up their cages and gave them food and water - you could see them one by one, start to calm down. And they'd look around at the people coming in, and you could actually see each one, at their own pace, have their proverbial a-ha! moment. Once they realized and remembered, hey I know what these creatures are - they are humans! And I once had a human that loved me. And you could see the cats start to really eye the adopters. Size them up. They would actually start picking their own people by reaching out a paw through the bars. Their eyes would say it all, "take me home! I remember now what a couch is like, and I bet you have a comfy one." This probably sounds pretty corny, be we saw it happen cat after cat, event after event.

It literally was a magical experience to witness. It's true that not every adoption was successful and in the end we weren't able to adopt them all. But, we adopted so many more than I ever would have imagined and the Best Friends Adoption Team, lead by Danielle Hartill, really deserves a national humane award for their efforts. The fact that they even tried, when most shelters never would have even given the cats a second chance, really and truly deserves applause. It certainly restored my faith and commitment to this work! And I think it did the same for cat lovers all over the country.

Click here to check out the Great Kitty Rescue group for more updates!

Photos by Best Friends photographer

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Shelly Kotter

scratchtopaz — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:36:24 GMT

Shelly Kotter is the Focus on Felines campaign specialist. She was in cat adoptions at Best Friends when she made her journey to The Great Kitty Rescue.

The first time I visited The Great Kitty Rescue in Pahrump I really had no clue as to what I would see. Entering the compound was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was close to 115 degrees and the stench was so strong I almost gagged. Then I saw the first of the neglected cats. I no longer noticed the smell and the heat seemed to be more more bearable. I could only think of how I was going to help make this better. I was brought in to help place these poor cats into loving homes. That would have to wait for now.

I could not see one cat that I thought would be able to be adopted without lots of medical care and recovery first. All were thin, most looked to be sick and starving. As you can imagine they did not get this way in a day or week or even a month. It was going to take some time to get them to a healthy weight again before we could place them with their new forever families.

I made several trips to the rescue sight. On one such visit I helped with the cats that were taken from the rescue owners home to the local shelter. We had just a few hours to clean and organize the cats and other various animals that had come from her residence. These cats had been kept in small cages with little to no care. Most were sick, some could barely move and had been lying in their own mess for who knows how long. One small orange cat really brought it home for me that day. He was in a cage with 4 - 5 other cats and he had a bad infection covering his stomach. It was hard for him to move around and when he did he would let out small cries. He was trying to keep his tummy clean, and was doing his best. This kitty wanted to live and he had no intention of giving up. He had experienced terrible things yet when I was cleaning his cage he purred, even pushing his sweet face into my hand for love and carresses. If he could be brave and keep his will to live then I could also be brave to help him live.

Click Here for more updates from The Great Kitty Rescue group.

Photos by Best Friends photographer

Cover Girl and Shadow Cats Remembered

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:40:01 GMT

Jennifer Hayes shares her memories of The Great Kitty Rescue icon and the dedicated organization that took her in.

My time in Pahrump was brief and I spent my few days volunteering in the three buildings containing the FIV and FeLV positive cats. Little did I know then that the connection to The Great Kitty Rescue would be maintained when I went back to Austin - only 1,400 miles away.

Sheila Smith, the founder of Shadow Cats had heard about the rescue and felt the need to assist. Her organization is located in Round Rock, Texas, (less than an hour drive from my home) and they took in 16 cats from Pahrump. And not just any cats, but all feline leukemia positive ones - some of those same cats whom I had helped care for back in Nevada. While each individual is special, it should be noted that one of the Texas transfers was none other than Cover Girl, the cat whose haunting image came to represent the Great Kitty Rescue.

Like all cats, they have varying degrees of sociability, however, the most amazing tranformation was unquestionably Cover Girl. I never had the opportunity to meet her in Pahrump, possibly because she was in the medical building, or maybe because she did everything she could to avoid being seen. And who could blame her; she was living proof of the horrors that occurred in Pahump.

When I first met her at Shadow Cats, she was hidden in a dark corner behind a chair. She wasn't about to come out and based on her feelings towards me (and the world), I wasn't about to get any closer to her. However, despite the neglect and cruelty she had suffered, her power to forgive was amazing, as I was to learn.

In May 2008 Sheila had some exciting news, Cover Girl enjoyed having her mouth stroked with a damp cloth and was now accepting pets too. This was something I had to witness myself.

Sure enough, Sheila sat down on the couch next to the transformed cat who was not just tolerating the attention, but was truly taking pleasure in it. And when Sheila motioned me over to also pet her, my heart skipped a beat. I just knew Cover Girl would dart off, but I was wrong.

It was one of those moements in life you never forget, one where you can't believe something is happening yet it is. (Click Here to see Sheila petting Cover Girl from that day on video.)

Tragically, Cover Girl's turnaround came only a few months before she crossed Rainbow Bridge, which makes me treasure that memory all the more.

And I've had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the other 15 Pahrump cats who now claim Texas as their home. Like Cover Girl, some have passed on, but many still remain. And though I only get to visit them occasionally in person, I check on them regularly on the Shadow Cats Kitty Cam.

Now, two years later, I'm thankful for the short time I had to help in Pahrump and even more grateful for the opportunity to visit (and occasionally spoil) my very special feline neighbors. Thank you to Sheila and all of the other wonderful organizations, Best Friends staff, volunteers and adopters, who have made The Great Kitty Rescue possible.

Click here to access Cover Girl and Friend's Blog

photos by Jennifer Hayes and Best Friends photographer

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Jennifer Johnson

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:40:10 GMT

Jennifer Johnson shares her Pahrump experience...

Q. What will you never forget?

I will never forget...the surreal feel that Pahrump had - sort of a western movie, only gone very very bad. The number of people that helped out - sent money, donations, cut the Round Table Pizza bill in half when they found out who it was for, the sight of the cats remembering how to be cats. The constant diarrhea. The heat. The tirelessness of the staff and volunteers. The isolation.

Q. Which cats stick out in your mind and why?

Which cats stick in my head? Geoffrey, because I named him. Buster because I wrote a blog about him - Mark & I found him after he'd crossed, and Ken named him. Ava Andrea Buster Morgan because we adopted her. Sadly, I'm horrible with names, so the other ones that are in my head are nameless.

Q. Which volunteers stick out in your mind and why?

Linda & Jerry Bell - Linda because she cleaned like a mad woman, and Jerry because he drove cats to Vegas every single day. They also drove the cats to Shadow Cats in Texas, and I think Jerry wouldn't have thougth twice if we'd asked him to go to Canada. Billy - the woman who fed us! Great food.

Q. What do you know now that you didn't know then?

That hoarding could be a group effort. I'd always thought of hoarding as sort of like bulimia, solitary. I learned to what extent there need to be stricter animal protection laws on the books and ENFORCED. I also learned that much as I dislike rubber gloves, if I'm going to washing litter boxes in bleach for 10 hours, I really need to wear them.

Q. What are the most important lessons of The Great Kitty Rescue?

That living things have feelings. Again, that animal protection laws have to be stricter and they have to be enforced. How many more people need to learn what hoarding is?

Images by Best Friends photographer

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Jeff Popowich

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:34:30 GMT

In this series, volunteers and staff share their thoughts on saving cats in Pahrump, two years later.

Staffer, Jeff Popowich remembers Pistol and more...

Q. WHAT WILL YOU NEVER FORGET?

The horrible condition of the cats when we first arrived. Nightly feedings with the rain gutter troughs. Finding the poor cats that were buried in the sand pile. My friend, Pistol!

Q. WHICH CATS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Pistol!

Q. WHICH VOLUNTEERS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Matt and his wife(can’t remember her name), the two nice couples that were competing for bringing us the best dinners.

Q. WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THEN?

That institutional hoarding is awful and how much suffering is possible in a small, 2 acre lot out in the middle of nowhere.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF THE GREAT KITTY RESCUE?

No matter how good your intentions are, things can go awry. Pride is a nice thing to have, but when times are tough and operations like this begin to falter, they need to throw pride out the window and ask for help.

This was a situation that probably happens all the time all over the world. It is too bad that there isn’t more recognition for illnesses of this nature so that corrective actions could be taken earlier and prevent so much pain and suffering.

Every individual deserves a chance at life and I still feel bad about the ones that we were too late to help. I still think about Mr. Jones from time to time.

Thank you to Barbara Williamson for organizing this wonderful retrospective.

Photos by Best Friends photographer

Gemini - Photo Exclusive

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:23:46 GMT

Margaret Mays adopted a favorite kitten from the Great Kitty Rescue! Be warned these photos are revealing!

Who goes there? Oh, you're just sayin' "Hey!"

Mom's going to show you what? Well just don't bring out the baby pictures!

Now you've done it! But whatever you do, don't bring out the...

OOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!!! NNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Caught in the act of Extreme Cuteness!

Images courtesy Margaret Mays and Best Friends

The Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Sherry Woodard

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:53:51 GMT

In this series, volunteers and staff share their thoughts on saving cats in Pahrump, two years later.

Staffer, Sherry Woodard remembers...

Q. WHAT WILL YOU NEVER FORGET?

The cats. Hundreds of individual cats, getting to know them, loving them before knowing them.

Them finding their voices – them trusting us!

The many great volunteers that joined us.

The cards and packages that helped us care for the cats with emotional support and financial support.

Q. WHICH CATS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

The cats that were truly behaving aggressively and now are relaxed, happy, human social, truly enjoying people, touch, to be picked up – held, carried.

Q. WHICH VOLUNTEERS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Wow tough question I have friends or should I say volunteers and staff that I believe have become family by choice. Most of them know who they are.

Q. WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THEN?

Institutional hoarding has joined my list of real nightmares, puppy mills, dog fighting and private hoarders also have a place on my list of priorities for visible change. We need help from the public – help from as many people as possible to change laws, enforce laws, rescue these innocent lives, help foster and re-home them. Help fund all efforts. Become involved in some way PLEASE!

Q. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF THE GREAT KITTY RESCUE?

Not a new lesson but a reoccurring one. We need press to help educate the public, we need teamwork to step into any rescue, we need each other and the animals need us as many of us as possible.

The last lesson is one I try to remember and live – never think you know it all (about anything) – be open to learning – believe in yourself - keep trying!

Thank you to Barbara Williamson for organizing this wonderful retrospective.

Photos by Best Friends photographer

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Karen Muthreich

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:51:35 GMT

In this series, volunteers and staff share their thoughts on saving cats in Pahrump, two years later.

Staffer, Karen Muthreich remembers...

Q. WHAT WILL YOU NEVER FORGET?

I was in Pahrump for 5.5 months and the one thing I will never forget is waking up that first morning. I arrived late in the afternoon in Pahrump about 5 weeks after BF first took over what I call the compound. I had nowhere to sleep and decided to lay my sleeping bag in the huge tent that had been put up for the cats to have shade. I gathered a couple of pallets together set up my air mattress and sleeping bag and had gotten to bed around midnight.

Several cats came and slept on my bed as I passed out very exhausted. When I woke up it was so hot! The temperature in Vegas had been around 110-120 degrees and this morning was no exception to the hot day that lay ahead. What I will never forget is not only was I soaking wet with sweat but laying there slowly waking up I began to giggle and giggle and giggle

I counted 17 cats that had decided to sleep with me lining themselves on top and along the sides of me. I was their little sardine. I had not had the opportunity to have cats growing up because many of my family members are allergic to cats. I was happy they all liked me and then very saddened by how sick they looked. I knew right then that I had made the right decision to help; these cats need me and I needed them. There was no way I could get myself to leave after that. I quit my Safety & Security position at the sanctuary and worked full time to assist every cat I could in the rescue.

Q. WHICH CATS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

To me it was a cat named Ziggy. One of the evenings I slept in the tent this little orange Tabby crawled up into a little ball between my neck and shoulders. It was dark and I could only feel the cats around me but this one I thought “Oh my gosh, we have kittens here?! Ziggy wasn’t a kitten but a full grown cat who had suffered the starvation that many of the cats had suffered. When I awoke the next morning Ziggy ran as fast as he could to get away and would never let me touch him until I was in my sleeping bag and he was in his corner of my neck.

Q. WHICH VOLUNTEERS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

That questions is just too hard. I guess it would have to be Linda and Jerry and most of all Judy. They all live in Pahrump, Linda and Jerry actually was hired the last months but they lived only blocks from the rescue and wanted to help. I remember they would cook awesome meals for us and help with whatever they could. Judy (JR) was also a local who would come in the afternoons and help. It was just good to know that the locals did care and wanted to do something, anything to help. I remember RJ Dillinger from Texas spending 2-3 weeks helping me with organizing the volunteers and always having that upbeat positive attitude and Dion Lampham who not only assisted and donated tons of whatever we needed for the cats she also ran several cats to Vegas to the vet and still continues to give to the sanctuary cats.

Q. WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THEN?

Wow, I have learned so much about cats and how cruel humans can be. I remember when we found “the Jury” in plastic grocery sacks buried in a huge pile of cat litter. They tossed them like trash and didn’t think twice about it. I know that people believe that cats can’t be trained like dogs but they are sooooooooo wrong as we have seen in Sherry’s school. I’ve learned when traumatized cats unlike dogs don’t forgive as easily and need time like us humans do to regain trust in the human race.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF THE GREAT KITTY RESCUE?

Too much really. I don’t know, I have learned so much about what a hoarder is, how cruel and materialistic people can be, that cats do understand and learn much quicker than dogs if given the opportunity. And if given the same consideration of training and love that we give dogs from puppy mills or traumatic situations we would not have so many “feral” (frightened and alone) cats.

Thank you to Barbara Williamson for organizing this wonderful retrospective.

Photos by Best Friends photographer

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Gilla Gidlow

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:47:42 GMT

In this series, volunteers and staff share their thoughts on saving cats in Pahrump, two years later.

Q. WHAT WILL YOU NEVER FORGET?
The dedication of Sherry Woodard, working 24/7 for so many months and not giving up on any cat. Her innovation in Pahrump and later in the Finishing School with Terri, in turning these beautiful felines from scared to loving companions ready to go home.I also admire Best Friends for their commitment to the cats while at Pahrump.

Q. WHICH CATS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Kaiser, now Billy, sitting with me right now and being one of the sweetest cats I have ever met.
Zappa, who was one of my first successes at Pahrump. I could pet him and even pick him up.

Carson, later Carlos, who one day in building seven decided to stop running and who from then on was one of the most loving cats always purring and loving to be close. I hope he found a loving home.

Bubbles, now Isla, who turned from a striker to a lap cat thanks to Sherry.

Casey, a little Maine Coon beauty, who always stayed a step ahead and after being put in a cage turned into a cuddle cat.

There are so many, Kermit, Sylvester, (Click Here for videos of Sylvester & Kermit) who are both now at Corinne and Bob's. I can hardly believe that sweet Kermit, who always cowered in Pahrump now walks proudly in their home.

Q. WHICH VOLUNTEERS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Corinne and Bob: I met them at the adoption event in Phoenix for the first time and knew they were special, having come from San Diego to help for the weekend. Their dedication to the cats and being in Kanab at the Finishing School at least once a month, bringing donations and their compassion and knowledge of cats. And even now finding homes for many of the cats. Kate, Peter, Carrie and everyone who took some of the very shy and gave them homes.

Q. WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THEN?

I learned a lot about cats that I didn't know before. How gentle, but firm persuasion can bring them around. How cats can learn and how bad behaviour in cats can be corrected.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF THE GREAT KITTY RESCUE?

Most cats that act feral in a setting like Pahrump, neglected and even abused, can be turned back to loving companions. Sherry proved it again and again and so many of these sweet cats are now home because of her.

Thank you to Barbara Williamson for organizing this wonderful retrospective.

Photos by Best Friends photographer

Great Kitty Rescue Remembered by Christina Zimmer

scratchtopaz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:30:42 GMT

In this series, volunteers and staff share their thoughts on saving cats in Pahrump, two years later.

Christina Zimmer remembers Bruce and looks towards the future...

Q. WHAT WILL YOU NEVER FORGET?

The heat. I remember driving up the first time I came to Pahrump, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, causing a dust storm in the makeshift parking lot. I stopped the car, and opened the door, about ¼ inch and was struck with this oppressive, oven-like heat. I had never experienced anything like it. I didn’t know how the cats had survived in that hell.

Q. WHICH CATS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

Bruce. I met Bruce at one of the first adoption events at the Golden Nugget. He was such a gorgeous, all black beauty. Bruce was content to sleep in his litter box while potential adopters strolled by, I kept opening his cage, trying to wake him up, “Come on Bruce, show everyone how great you are!” I finally decided on a new tact, I picked him up, he just melted into my arms and snuggled in, and started to walk around with him. About 15 minutes later, Danielle approved an adoption application and Bruce was adopted. I was so excited for him! Clay got a photo of me and Bruce, and I cherish it!

Q. WHICH VOLUNTEERS STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND AND WHY?

On one trip to Pahrump, my purse was stolen from my hotel room. Cash, credit cards, ID, everything! Yikes! A few hours later, at the rescue site, I was chatting with some other volunteers, and relaying my misfortune, one woman in the group, who didn’t know me at all, reached into her pocket and offered me a $20.00 bill. Her kindness, which flowed so easily and naturally from her was touching. Her gesture said to me, “We are all in this together, and we are here to take of the cats, and each other.”

Q. WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THEN?

Pahrump was my first rescue. The first time I went there, I didn’t even go inside the fence for fear of it all “being too much for me.” The sadness, illness and suffering of the kitties, I didn’t think I could face it, but I still wanted to help.

I learned that even though I wasn’t able to work directly with the animals (at first), there was a place for me. There are so many ways to contribute, and make a difference. I learned that in a rescue, anything and almost everything can be useful. My first contribution was photo copies of adoption applications, and it helped.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS OF THE GREAT KITTY RESCUE?

For me, personally, I learned that rescue is hard, scary, sad, frustrating and rewarding. I re-affirmed my belief that every cloud has a silver lining, as Pahrump has left me with some of the most amazing friends that I will cherish for life.

In the bigger picture..(Damn, this is hard!) While the world has come a long way when it comes to animal welfare, we have a long way to go. Our legal system is sadly lacking in convictions and precedent setting verdicts of guilt. That despite all the suffering by the cats, the time, energy and immense resources that it took to save most, sadly not all, of these creatures there was only a pathetic pittance of accountability.

Thank you to Barbara Williamson for organizing this wonderful retrospective.

Photos by Best Friends photographer