Felis Catus lacks the linguistic wherewithal to properly vocalize its thoughts in a comprehensible manner.
In short, cats don’t speak English.
But if the unending stream of head butts, leg rubs and vocalized requests for attention are any indication, the more than 100 adult cats and kittens in the charge of the Belmont County Humane Society are happy to show their appreciation.
The adult cats are housed in an impressive facility behind the house of director Angela Hatfield that cost roughly $100,000. Donations and volunteer sweat equity helped make the project a reality.
Built in 2018, Safe Haven, as it’s dubbed, houses roughly 50-60 adult cats in a free-flowing environment.
The main room features multiple opportunities for relaxation and for play, from the wall-mounted boxes perfect for sleeping to the bridges that run along the top of the walls. There are cat towers, feeding stations and enough litter boxes to satisfy the cats’ needs. A separate storage room off the main room houses the laundry facilities along with an industrial sink and plenty of cleaning supplies, extra litter, food and bowls for water. A two-way pet door leads to an open-air deck that gives the cats the feeling of being in the outdoors without the dangers that come with it.
Inside Hatfield’s garage is where the kittens and young adult cats are looked after before they transition to Safe Haven. While the garage does have large cages, the cats are given daily opportunities to exercise while the cages are being maintained.
It’s a long way to come from when Hatfield first created the 501(c)(3) non-profit back in 2016.
A former board member for the Belmont County Rescue League and one-time director of the county’s animal shelter, she has been involved in the animal welfare for quite some time. Hatfield began to feel the cats were being underserved by the county’s shelter when funding and space issues threatened to prevent the shelter from taking in any additional cats. Funding for the housing and care of dogs works differently than that for cats because of Ohio Revised Code, and the money just wasn’t there.
The non-profit was formed and the organization joined other county animal advocate groups like Back Street Cat Rescue, BCARL, Belmont County Cat Stray Shun and the more recently formed Belmont County Hoof & Paw.
Hatfield notes that for the most part, the various groups work well together and will help one another out; after all, they all share the same purpose—helping the animals.
In the beginning, Hatfield and a number of consistent volunteers did their best to find foster and permanent homes for the displaced animals. They received monetary and tangible donations to aid in care which also helped pay for veterinary care and spaying/neutering for the animals. Hatfield noted that Goodworks Veterinary Hospital in St. Clairsville handles most of their veterinary care while Elm Grove Animal Hospital assists them with having the animals fixed.
Hatfield said the turning point came via a bit of luck. An area resident learned of the organization and wanted to meet with the director. What resulted was the process of getting Save Haven built.
The county can still house a little more than 30 cats and the other organizations have volunteers to help foster. BCARL has its own facility near Sheetz in St. Clairsville. But the Humane Society dedicates itself to felines only and has the facility to provide quality care for the cats, if necessary.
“It’s so much harder to get help for cats,” Hatfield lamented. “People are more willing to donate or help out with dogs, and there are some people who really don’t like cats. I always say if you don’t like them, that’s fine. But there’s a difference in not liking cats and agreeing that they should be treated humanely as a domesticated animal should.”
Without mentioning the town, Hatfield remembered getting sent on a call where some stray cats in a community were severely injured and even mutilated.
Safe Haven is a no-kill facility, and its collective intention is to get as many cats and kittens adopted as possible. But, if for some reason they never find that forever family, they will always have a home at Safe Haven.
For those interested in adopting, the cost for kittens is $50 apiece while the adult cats are $100. The difference helps offset the veterinary care for the animals that, in some cases, has crept up into the $500-$1,000 range for any animals that might have been rescued for an abusive situation and needed more specialized care.
The Human Society participates in a number of adoption events each month. They have a weekly event at Pet Supplies Plus in St. Clairsville from 11-2. Goodworks Veterinary Hospital is hosting an adoption event on Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. Humane Society volunteers will be wrapping gifts at Cabela’s in Triadelphia on Dec.14-15 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, Dec. 21 the Humane Society will set up shop inside the Ohio Valley Mall’s community room for another adoption drive.
Hatfield has one employee as a number of regular volunteers assist her with caring for the cats needs on a daily basis, but she’s always looking for more. High school students looking for volunteer hours are welcome, as are younger children who can come with their parents and help out a few hours a week. A big help is assisting with the roughly seven loads of laundry a day required to keep that cats’ bedding clean and changed. Litter scooping is also a major need.
“We probably go through seven loads of laundry a day,” Hatfield said, noting that it takes a lot to keep the bedding clean and changed for both the kitten room and for the adults in Stay Haven.
She also noted help with scooping and cleaning litter boxes is a continuous need. However, if potential volunteers aren’t keen on getting their hands dirty in that manner, Hatfield said to come on by for a couple of hours and spend time with the cats, giving them attention and brushing their fur. That is just as big of a help.
