Feline friends

Dinner to benefit cat rescue, placement effort

A litter of kittens left in a trash bin. A stray cat trapped on HOV lanes during traffic. Both are sad reminders of the effect of feline overpopulation.

In both situations, the animals were rescued — but even then their fate is uncertain.

The mission of FosterCat Inc., the group that rescued the animals in those scenarios, is to provide for the temporary care and then permanent placement of homeless cats and kittens. Since 1999, the nonprofit has fostered and placed more than 1,100 kittens and cats for permanent adoption.

A spaghetti dinner to benefit the group’s efforts will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church in Green Tree. Tickets are $9 and $4 for children 12 and younger.

FosterCat has a network of about 25 volunteer foster homes, mostly in Allegheny County, said Alexa Howald of Butler County, one of the founders.

After volunteering with Animal Friends for a number of years, she and others became aware of the immense cat overpopulation and the “fact there is just never enough room for all the kitties in need.”

“Our original intent was to be a utility to the local shelters, offering foster care for cats and kittens until cage space became available, but the logistics became difficult,” she said. So she and other FosterCat founders decided to take over the entire process from fostering through adoption and anything in between.

Since 2001, FosterCat has been adoption partners with PetSmart, a national pet store chain. PetSmart partners with many shelters and rescue organizations around the country, offering space in their stores to display kittens and cats available for adoption. FosterCat has cages in stores in West Mifflin, Cranberry, Northway Mall in Ross and Monroeville.

“I would say 90 percent of our kitties are adopted through that platform,” Mrs. Howald said.

FosterCat interviews for adoptions by phone and then makes a personal visit. The group then checks with building managers for pet policies and with the would-be owners’ veterinarian if they have other pets.

“We want people who are in it for the long haul,” she said. “Statistically, the average age of an indoor cat is 15. We only place cats with people who will keep them indoors.”

The cats are spayed or neutered before being placed.

“We get calls on a daily basis from people asking for help,” she said.

The group needs people who are willing to foster cats.

“All you need is a room where the cat can be separated from other animals,” Mrs. Howald said. “There are no out-of-pocket expenses.”