[meowing] What are you doing? [meowing] The Cat House on the Kings is California's largest no-cage sanctuary for feral and abandoned cats, Plus rescue cats for both animal shelters and off the streets. It's 12 acres of kitty paradise, and I was looking up to visit recently to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes. Let me just find the time travel button. Here's what it takes to keep the place running on a day-to-day basis. Let's take a look. Since it was founded 24 years ago, the sanctuary has rescued over 28,000 cats. Today, there's over 700 feline residents, And that number will grow to almost a thousand once kitten season begins. They employ 50 staff members, including seven vet techs, and have around a hundred volunteers. The base of operations is this 4,200 square foot by 13 house. And of course, the day begins by feeding all of the demanding cats. [meowing] They feed wet and dry food mixed together every morning, And in total, they get through over a thousand cans of wet food, and 1,400 pounds of dry food each week. [meowing] [growling] This happens every morning. Morning squabbles. And I thought I had it bad with Marmalade. So once the cats have been fed, they allow their servants to begin cleaning the house. So all these litter boxes have to be checked clean, daily inside and outside. And all that cat food means... [bowl shaking] [litter falling in the litterbox] Did I mention they go through 600 pounds of litter each week as well? They sweep, mop, and even- We clean the windows daily. So you do window cleaning everyday? We do window cleaning everyday. Then in the winter, they light a fire to make sure their masters stay cozy and warm. But most importantly, from the moment the humans arrive in the morning, they're constantly observing all of the cats to make sure they're looking good, eating well, and acting normally. [meow] Once the majority of the cleaning is done, and there's more daylight, they distribute the wet food mix to the outside areas, and also walk the entire perimeter of the property to check on all the individual cat shelters, and to make sure everything is well in Catland. So the cats, when they run, that's pretty much a good sign, for you? They're not running, I know there's something wrong with them and they can't run. At this time, members of the public are starting to arrive to drop off cats that need to be spayed or neutered. A local vet offers low-cost services for the sanctuary. And so far, they've helped spay and neuter over 40,000 cats and dogs in the community. [growling] While this is being done, other humans are keeping on top of all the other jobs that need to be taken care of. This includes trimming claws, flea-treating the cats, and scooping up lots of poop. There's giant litter boxes outside, but some cats prefer to use them in other ways. There's also an endless supply of bedding to wash every, single, day. After the work in the main house was completed, I headed over to the offices and kitten rooms. It took me a while to get there. Because of kitten season, when all female cats start to give birth, they were already starting to receive more and more calls. How old is this one? She's, uh, roughly about three weeks going on four weeks. And as usual, they will rescue hundreds of kittens that will all need to be spayed, neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, treated for fleas, worms, and ear mites, and tested for FeLV, FIV, and litter box strain. Then adopted out. They've also rescued over 8,000 dogs in the past 24 years, too. In the afternoon, we met Lynea, the lady who started it all. For a tour of her previous home, and the rest of the property. I have one and a half dogs, and one cat. Don't call me a hoarder. All the pawprints in the concrete. I know, that was not intentional. Out this window, that used to be my swimming pool. That used to be a wet bar, This used to be a dance floor. It was a party house. Lynea spent 18 years living in this house, with a lot of cats that took over every square foot of it. The passion for saving these cats eventually forced her out. After sleepless nights with them jumping all over her, often waking up with new scars every morning. And then, they threw up in my ear, and then I moved. That's it. As usual, the cats run the show. They can choose to go wherever they want, whenever they want, and do whatever they feel like. I don't know why they're in here, it's a nice day outside, but they're in here, okay? All the different sections are fully insulated shelters, plus... They have an air conditioner. This time of year, they have a heater. They have a separate section for the FIV positive cats, which is mainly... To protect them. They have a compromised immune system. I'd consider it a cage, but it's better than most people's backyards, bigger, And they have a nice view. Rooms dedicated to feral and more skittish cats with access to the outside so they can come and go as they please, and another entire house just for the senior cats, which is where I stayed overnight, and tried to eat lunch. The Cat House on the Kings is really an amazing place. I had lots of time to wander around and say hello to as many of the cats as I could, and admire all the work that goes into saving so many lives, And running a sanctuary of this magnitude day in and day out. Not only do they provide a home for hundreds of cats, and adopt out as many as possible, [meow] In the past few years, they've spent $250,000 on spaying and neutering cats and dogs, And this is what makes the biggest difference and helps keep pets out of shelters. They don't receive any government support, everything is entirely donation-driven, And costs around $100,000 a month to operate. So please visit their website, cathouseonthekings.com to learn more, And to see how you can help by purchasing something on the Amazon Wish List, or maybe check out their online store for cool shirts like this: Every dollar really does help save lives.
