First kittens
After 14 years of finding homes for homeless felines, the Branford Compassion Club now has a home of its own — in North Branford.
The announcement of the new home is timely. June is Adopt-a-Shelter Cat month, and kitten season is reaching its peak. Despite the best efforts of the Compassion Club and sister organizations such as Forgotten Felines in Clinton and the Great New Haven Cat Project, along with the Dan Cosgrove and East Haven shelters, many adoptable cats still need homes.
A “Bare Bones Bash” took place May 23 to introduce supporters to the new facility on 2037 Foxon Rd., North Branford. About 130 visitors and volunteers mingled together, cooing over two cages of kittens, dining on goodies from an ample buffet, and learning about the organization’s plans for the future.
The new facility is adjacent to Pet Shield Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Gerald Fischbach is one of the network of veterinarians that provide medical care for the Compassion Club cats. According to Eunice Lasala, one of the founders of the Compassion Club, they’d been looking for a place for a while, but finances were always a concern. Dr. Fischbach owns the building and offered to lease it to the club at a reasonable rent. The set-up will make it convenient for both the veterinarian and the volunteers to care for the cats.
“We’re really excited about it,” says Lasala.
“We had approached other veterinary practices but didn’t have any takers so we had given up hope,” says Compassion Club President Mary Mellows.
The organization has used All Pets Club as a home base of sorts over the past few years, first in a separate room, then in an enclosure at the front of the store. “We will probably maintain a presence there since it gives us good visibility,” says Lasala.
Formed in November 1997, the Compassion Club has relied on a network of foster parents and volunteers to socialize and care for hundreds of cats and kittens.
Make that thousands.
Mellows estimates that around 250 cats a year have been placed, making the total around 3,250, Last year alone, she said, 400 cats were adopted. She says that the club has around 30 members, some that are hands-on volunteers and others who work behind the scenes at fundraising.
An even more critical mission of the organization is the “trap, neuter and release” program implemented to control the feral cat population. Cats that cannot be socialized are trapped, spayed or neutered and vaccination, then released back into their colonies. The club has spayed or neutered more than 2,000 since 1997.
Domestic cats become “feral” or wild when humans neglect to spay or neuter them, then abandon them where they breed at random. It’s estimated that a single pair of cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years.
Lasala is well known for her work in trapping ferals and maintaining their colonies. Just this past week she said she trapped 21 kittens and some moms at a local farm. Half a dozen of the 4‑week-olds were objects of attention at the event along with a cage of slightly older kittens. What’s a better draw than cute kittens?
How many volunteers work at this aspect of caring for cats? “Not nearly enough,” Lasala said. She added that foster “parents” are also needed for a critical two- to three-week period of socialization, until the kittens can be neutered and vaccinated. She encourages high school students to take part in fostering as part of their service projects. Volunteers are also need to tend the feeding stations in the area for feral cats.
Sally E. Bahner Photo
Lasala, Meyer and Mo
State Sen. Ed Meyer and his golden retriever Mo were among the guests. Meyer described Lasala as a “pioneer in animal care.” Meyer also chatted with longtime animal lover Dan Cosgrove who attended the event. The Compassion Club helps in the fund-raising efforts for the Cosgrove Animal Shelter in Branford.
The 2,500-square-foot facility is indeed at its bare bones stage. It will be some time before it is fully operational and open to the public. “We need walls,” said Mellows. Plans on display showed ample space for kitty cages, but floor-to-ceiling walls are needed for security and to accommodate health department requirements. Newcomers must be tested for communicable diseases and vet-checked before mingling with the general population.
Caring for a myriad of felines is not inexpensive, despite the generosity of local veterinarians and community support.
Sponsorships are available for feral kitties, feeders are needed, and shelters must be built (they’re an excellent project for civic and youth groups).
An extensive wish list includes everything needed to complete the shelter and furnish it: carpenters and electricians for construction; materials such as paint, flooring, shelving and cabinets; office supplies; cleaning supplies; and, of course, anything and everything related to cat care, from food to cat furniture.
A “giving tree” with colored leaves acknowledges donations in various amounts. A $100 donation (earning a green leaf) will pay for neutering a male cat and providing him with a rabies vaccination, while a $1,000 donation (earning a gold leaf) will provide a cat and her kittens with all necessary health care, vaccinations and spay or neuter all of them. Donations can also be made at the $200, $300 and $500 levels, which will provide corresponding levels of care.
The Compassion Club charges $125 to adopt a cat and $150 for a kitten. However, that fee only covers a portion of the costs involved since prior to adoption cats are medically checked by a veterinarian, tested for Feline Leukemia, and Feline AIDS, de-wormed and de-fleaed, vaccinated against distemper and rabies and spayed or neutered.
The Compassion Club meets at its new location on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the club’s website or call them at 203 – 315-3795.
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