Saving Cats: A Tribute to Allie Catherine

Wow, my story, huh. That would literally take a novel, but I will try to summarize. I think we can all relate to having to rebuild our lives, to start over. I've had to do it too many times. This last time, once again, almost cost me everything. I was forced to sell the only house I had ever, or ever will, own and given 30 days to be out, even though it was literally my house. And the final straw was at the same time being told I had 24 hours to have my cats, my truest friends and confidantes, the animals who had been with me for years and seen me through SO much, including the devastating, crushing events of the previous few months, out of the home. And the parties and institutions demanding it couldn't care less where. I absolutely refused, and it changed the course of my life forever. I found an old 70's mobile home that I was able to work out paying for after my home was sold and could buy outright so my friends could come with me and we would stay together. It was uninhabitable in its current condition. I mean, it was a mess. Plumbing broken, windows broken, roof leaks, destroyed carpets and floors, including four different places that had to be ripped up and replaced. But we could stay together. With the help of my sons and a credit line at the local hardware store, we were able to get it livable and at least in working condition on day 29 and moved in on day 30, and we all stayed together.

A few months later, the home sold, and I ended up with one half of the equity from the sale. I paid off all my debts and purchased another 1970's mobile home in the same tiny park just two trailers over for cash. It too was not habitable and would (and still does) need a lot of work, but that purchase would prove to be fortuitous in the next year, although at the time I didn't realize it.

At the location of my old home, I had trapped and fixed two momma cats and their litters that had been living outside after being dumped by someone and grew quite fond of those fur balls. I built a little "kitty city" under the front deck and tamed all those cats to the point that they would follow me around everywhere, and they all knew their names. I found a quiet sense of peace in the work and had decided (a few weeks before it all crashed) that I was going to start saving feral cats in the area, getting them fixed, medical attention, and try to find them homes. My goal was simply the small rural town I had lived in. Had I known where I would be today... I wouldn't have changed a thing.

With the remaining funds from the sale of my house (around 15 to 20 thousand), I made the decision to officially start a small rescue for the new little town I had moved to. I filed for my 501(c)(3), came up with the name Emery Cat Rescue, and just went forward a day at a time, not really having any idea what I was doing or where I would go from here.

A year and a half later, we have donated that other mobile home to the rescue and, after a bit of work, have turned it into an adoption and care center for the kitties. It is called The "Allie Cat Care Center" after my late daughter Allie Catherine... Allie Cat. (Told ya it would take a novel). We now not only cover our little town but cover two counties, Emery and Carbon Counties in Utah. We have 15 volunteers and currently have over 60 feral/community cats, sick and disabled cats, and owner surrenders in our care. Not to mention a very hefty veterinarian bill and now operating expenses including food, travel, insurance, payroll, litter, medications, rent on the Care Center, utilities, and all the rest of the day-to-day costs to operate a successful rescue... which is where this comes in. The original investment money is long gone, and we are operating solely on fundraisers and donations as well as my SSDI. I seem to have an issue with saying "no" and turning any cat away, and as a result, we are continuing to grow and are now looking at wanting to open more care centers and working toward serving all of Southeastern Utah. This has become my life, my calling, and I'm still just going one day, one hour at a time and letting this thing take me wherever it's going to take me. I just know, after 50 years, I found something worth saving. We will go and grow as far as fate wishes us to and be grateful for everything along the way.

If you would like more information on Emery Cat Rescue, please visit our website emerycatrescue.org