11 KINDNESS AT THE CAT HOUSE

CRYSTAL CHAN

When Lynea Lattanzio first started rescuing cats in central California, she had no plans to become a superhero, let alone the founder of a unique nonprofit organization. But after a couple eye-opening experiences sent her life in an unintended direction, that’s pretty much what happened.

When Lynea realized that Fresno County didn’t have enough resources to save the many stray cats that were left to fend for themselves, she began to rescue them, and she took care of them in her own home. Just one at first, then another, and then a few more, until she realized there wasn’t enough space for her to live alongside the many cats she had rescued. Though she had planned to live a quieter life away from the big city, where she could spend her free time traveling wherever and whenever she wanted, her feline roommates eventually forced her to give up the freedom to come and go as she pleased.

Despite the sacrifices, Lynea never regretted being a mother of adopted cats. The only problem was that there were so many more crying—yes, meowing—for help. That’s when she had to tap her own superpowers of imagination, compassion, and kindness. Other skills were important, too. If she had been a veterinarian, her job would have been to treat and save as many animals as possible. If she had been an animal caretaker, her job would have been to feed, groom, bathe, exercise, and care for animals. Once Lynea conceived The Cat House on the Kings—the twelve-acre cat sanctuary and adoption center in Parlier, California, that she founded in the early 1990s—her job had to become a combination of the two.

The sanctuary provides a safe, cage-free, indoor/outdoor residence for abandoned cats and kittens and helps place these rescued animals into loving, permanent homes. The nonprofit also aims to prevent pet overpopulation through a spay and neuter program. In an effort to assist the actual veterinarians the organization employs, Lynea went back to school to train as a veterinary surgical technician.

“I just felt that this was my mission,” Lynea acknowledges. “When I started, I didn’t realize that it was going to take over all aspects of my life, but I have no regrets.”

All the volunteers and workers at The Cat House firmly believe in the mission of the nonprofit. Every employee at The Cat House shares a love of caring for animals, and they are all in the habit of picking up animals found on the side of the road or in alleys and bringing them to the center. Lynea proudly states, “It’s like the whole atmosphere of this facility is to take good care of as many animals as we can.”

There was one dramatic rescue, for instance, when Armando, the maintenance worker, found an injured cat next to a cemetery on the side of road, with practically only skin and bones left. When Armando found the cat, it was “almost eaten completely by maggots,” Lynea recalled.

Saving the cat’s life was touch and go, but eventually they succeeded. Everyone working at the center played a role. In honor of the maintenance worker and his act of kindness, it was decided to name the miracle cat “Mando.” The road ahead was still challenging. Many months passed before Mando recovered from his injuries, and when he did, Lynea and volunteers at The Cat House were worried he wouldn’t find a forever home of his own.

“He was actually kind of wild, so we didn’t think he would ever get adopted, but the more love we showed him, the more affectionate he became, and he actually got to the point that he was doing fantastic,” Lynea shared. “Now, Mando’s the biggest, fattest, most beautiful cat, and he’s got a home in Marin.”

For Lynea and the rest of The Cat House, helping care for a cat and then watching it fully recover and find a great home is one of the most gratifying experiences. Lynea observed,

“When you do something like that—you take an animal that has nothing left and they fight so hard and you help them—and then they find such a beautiful life, it’s very rewarding.

Lynea would love to expand the sanctuary and continue building facilities with special treatment options for animals that are in need for different reasons, whether behavioral or medical—like timid cats, or white cats, who tend to develop skin cancer. This would give them the ability to learn about a variety of issues. Ultimately, Lynea wants to continue improving the lives of as many animals as possible.

An unusual aspect of The Cat House is that its rescued cats are extremely dog-friendly, mainly because the facility also has a number of rescued dogs that live and play with the cats. This may explain why those familiar with The Cat House have nicknamed the place “Cat Heaven” and “Dog Disneyland.”

At Cat Heaven and Dog Disneyland, volunteers like Terry Noell become the cornerstone of the nonprofit. Terry has been helping out at The Cat House for about fifteen years. He transports adoptees to their new homes, neuters and spays cats, and—as a renaissance man—even deejays at the annual open-house parties that occur twice a year.

Terry began volunteering at The Cat House after his wife, Tammy, asked him for help transporting kittens to their new foster homes. Terry and Tammy then went above and beyond this task by building a special cat room in their house to care for adopted kittens. One of the most moving moments Terry recalls spending at The Cat House was when he buried a cat he rescued, who had died after a fierce battle with feline leukemia.

Terry was so emotionally impacted by the burial, Terry said, that from then on, the memory would let him feel he would “always have a piece of The Cat House with me.” The genuine caring and compassion witnessed daily has given him insights into the true meaning of kindness. To Terry, “kindness is when everyone shows a kind hand and they do everything they can to save every life that passes through the gates.” And that applies to every creature at The Cat House, “regardless of what happens or the conditions or events that led to their arrival.”

Lynea echoes Terry’s views. To her, “kindness is to feel for the animal, and to understand the pain, fear, and loneliness that the animal is feeling while it’s injured.”

Everyone at The Cat House may have a different definition of kindness, but having compassion and giving selflessly is definitely at the heart of the nonprofit’s mission. Lynea didn’t go looking for an opportunity to be kind, yet somehow the opportunity found her.

Everyone knows how I feel about animals, so I too believe that being kind means being kind to all creatures. All any animal wants is to be loved, so thank you, Crystal, for reminding us to be kind to our furry friends. To support Lynea and her mission to rescue animals in the central California area, check out The Cat House on the Kings, and to learn how you can volunteer with a shelter or adopt a rescue animal near you, visit The Humane Society or Best Friends Animal Society.