FRIENDS OF CATS ARE TRUE TO THEIR NAME

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Organization to host "Catoberfest" benefit on Sept. 27



By David L. Coddon



August 22, 2014 (San Diego's East County)--A cat is man’s and woman’s best friend at an adoption center in El Cajon, that for half a century has been finding homes for needy felines.

Friends of Cats first opened in 1929 in Pacific Beach before relocating to Bonita and eventually to its Olde Highway 80 site back in the ‘50s. Friends of Cats houses up to 270 cats at a time – young, middle-aged and mature. It’s a no-kill shelter; cats that are adopted have been spayed or neutered and micro-chipped.

The staff of 12 (not including a core group of about 50 volunteers) is headed by Janet Bianchini.

“There’s nothing like a cat,” said Bianchini. “They’re so giving. But I also like the cats with attitude, those that just don’t give their affection freely. That’s what dogs are for.” (Bianchini is a dog owner, too, by the way).

In addition to making cats available for adoption ($100 for kittens, $75 for a year and older, $35 for those 10 years and up), Friends of Cats operates a lifetime care program, providing a safe home at the shelter for cats whose owners have passed away and have no surviving family members to care for the pets. These cats reside in Friends of Cats' Cozy Cottage.

Among the adoptable cats are also those with special health needs and behaviors, all looked after with TLC and available to the right owner.

Yes, there is a screening process. Potential adopters must demonstrate that the cats they take home will reside indoors and if you rent, your landlord must approve. A lot of the screening is a “gut feeling,” said Terry Hogan, head of Friends of Cats’ board of directors. “You talk with the people and you just get a sense.”

The Friends of Cats complex includes four general rooms (all kept meticulously clean and well-equipped with beds and toys for residents), a hospital area for quarantined animals, and adjoining cottages for the aforementioned special-needs cats. Dr. Christine Wilson of the Steele Canyon Vet Clinic is Friends of Cats’ go-to veterinarian for the adoptables’ medical care.

A nonprofit operation funded solely by donations, Friends of Cats is ramping up for its annual Catoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shelter. Coe Lewis of KGB-FM will host an event that includes tours of the facility, a buffet, raffle and, of course an opportunity to meet and adopt the next member of your family.

Find Friends of Cats at 15587 Old Highway 80 or visit www.friendsofcats.org.


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