Did you see Denny Boyles' story in The Bee about the huge feral cat colony at the former Hacienda motel that's being managed by the folks from Mental Health Systems Inc.? They are trying to transform the place into a housing and treatment center for women but taking care of the cats has become a full-time job. They were taking in 18 a day at the beginning. Holy catnip. Wow. The things they don't teach you in management school.
While I'm sure nobody gets a case study like this one at Wharton, the care taken in supervising this problem says a lot about the management team that's coming into this neighborhood. Instead of trapping the cats and taking them to the SPCA, where they most likely wouldn't live too long, this group of folks has studied up on the science of feral cat colonies, is getting the animals spayed or neutered, adopting them out and letting the rest live on the premises taking care of any mice or rats.
I like what that says about the company and Jenny Bates, regional manager for MHS, who is overseeing the project. Though she's a dog person, she sought advice from the area's premier cat lady, Lynnea Lattanzio, who founded Cat House on the Kings in Parlier. Together, they devised the strategy. Now my mind works this way: If they take this much time and care with wild cats, how much more will they bring to the lives of the troubled human beings who will soon arrive? No telling for sure, but I'm just sayin' it's looking promising.
The story says that workers are now renovating three buildings to house residents in the Fresno First program, which will offer substance abuse treatment and housing to women released from prison. The first (human) residents are expected to move to the Hacienda from elsewhere in Fresno in September. Sounds like everyone will get a pet right away.
Gail - you expressed my sentiment exactly! Someone once told me "anything you do is indicative of everything you do". So if this is the way the staff handles the dilemma with the cats, I think the facility is in good hands once clients begin showing up.
The only time I've been at the Hacienda was when they offered entertainment.
Is that big horse sign still there?
As for the cats, I hope it won't be too large a task, and in frustration just kill them.
They say that pets have a healing influence. So why not let a goodly number
of them just stay there (after being spayed and or neutered) to be taken care
of by the patients. I am sure there is enough room for a proper cat house.
It could be built with donated money, and veterinarians could donate time to maintain the animal's health.
so,...there's a "cat lady" in a position of mental health management over there? mental health being the issue,... the catlady-icon was always the craziest one on the block, right?... hmmmmeeeow?
Don't gripe that they are there because if you feed something it comes back to stay so spay & neuter them and let the ladies have responsibility of a pet if they wish.
I love cats, dont get me wrong. in fact, you couldn't pay me to take in a dog. But cats are better left outdoors; there are over 20 diseases associated with cat feces and many of them can be fatal to small children or people w/ challenged immune systems... so I always cringe at the idea of "catbox."