LAKE ANN Coupling big hearts with hard-headed planning and management, two area women created a sanctuary for cats no one else wants.
One year ago, Mandie Carpenter of Lake Ann and Amy Hersha of Atwood formed UN-Cats, a nonprofit feline rescue organization aimed at "un-tameable, un-treatable and un-touchable" cats.
They provide a home and care for cats with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV.) They also offer and educate about trap, neuter and return (known as TNR) services for feral cats.
They are the only organization in the area geared to what are essentially throw-away cats.
"There are so many that are just euthanized," Hersha said.
UN-Cats also helps healthy rescues through a foster and adoption program, but their emphasis remains on unwanted cats with FIV or FeLV. A recent litter dropped of in the shelter's driveway in the early morning hours is straining financial resources and diverting their energy.
The women will care for the 10 kittens and their mother in a separate area from the other cats until they are adopted. They request that people with unwanted healthy cats and kittens contact traditional shelters or rescue organizations.
Carpenter and Hersha conceived of UN-Cats in April 2007 after learning that the FIV and FeLV cats they were fostering through other area rescue groups would be put down. The chronically and terminally ill cats drained these organizations' time and money, detracting from their ability to serve more animals.
Having cared for and bonded with these cats, Hersha and Carpenter decided to adopt them and start UN-Cats. They searched for the right location that included an outbuilding they could remodel into a shelter. Two months later, they found just the right spot outside of Lake Ann.
"We didn't want anything residential, though one nice thing about cats is they're quiet it's not like we have un-neutered fighting Toms," Hersha said.
They created a bright and airy facility featuring two cat-friendly rooms one for FeLV cats and one for FIV cats. Handwashing is mandatory when moving between rooms.
Each room was designed to facilitate both care and comfort, from the drains on the floor for power washing to soft furniture, toys and a variety of cat platforms and beds. UN-Cats also provides high quality cat food to help bolster the cats' already-compromised immune system.
Meticulously clean litter boxes, food and water bowls testify to their twice-daily visits, with Mandie taking the morning shift and Amy the night one. Both often stay beyond standard caretaking tasks to pet and socialize the cats, which currently number 16 in the FIV room and 13 in the FeLV room. Volunteer kitty cuddlers also pitch in to love the animals.
"We've got some cats that aren't pleasant, but the majority are loving, you go sit down and there's a swarm," said Hersha, petting multiple purring cats simultaneously.
Except for their diagnoses and occasional mild illnesses, most of the cats would make wonderful pets, Carpenter noted. Many could live long healthy lives in a home.
"A lot of these cats, if they were on an adoption floor they would be adopted good personality and beautiful," she said. "If somebody were interested and didn't have any other cats in their home."
Behind the shelter are two enclosed areas that are covered and accessible from each room via a cat door. Fencing on top keeps the cats from getting away.
Thanks to donations and help, one side is done and the other nearly completed.
While many of the cats are relatively healthy, they do have a serious condition. The goal for UN-Cats is to provide a stable loving home for the rest of their natural lives.
"When their time comes, they will not be alone," Hersha said.
For more information on UN-Cats, call Mandie Carpenter at 590-1420 or Amy Hersha at 590-7278.
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