[Vision2020] Caturday (February 10, 2018)

[Moscow Cares]

A man transformed his home into a cat sanctuary, welcoming around 300 felines over the past 12 years to help him cope with the grief of losing his son. Based on the pictures in the article, it looks like the cats are living the good life on Caturday.

Courtesy of the Daily Mail (London, England) at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5353549/Cat-lover-transforms-home-haven-300-felines.html?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

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It's cat man! Animal lover transforms his home into a haven for 300 felines - with hammocks, heated perches and roast chicken dinners for the abandoned moggies
Chris Arsenault from Medford, New York turned his house into a cat sanctuary 
The 58-year-old has welcomed 300 felines to help cope with the loss of his son 
Retired train conductor has given his entire house and garden over to the cats

A man has transformed his home into a cat sanctuary, welcoming around 300 of the felines to help him cope with the grief of losing his son.

Chris Arsenault, 58 from Medford, New York, has set-up the Happy Cat Sanctuary, a place full of fun for the animals, including hammocks and handcrafted perches.

The retired train conductor has given his entire house and garden over to the abandoned felines, apart from the small eight-by-twelve foot bedroom where he eats and sleeps.

Mr Arsenault spends his days refilling water bowls, mucking out litter trays, mopping floors and rustling up roast chicken dinners for the pampered residents.

He said: 'I don't find it overwhelming even though there are 300 cats now.

'I truly believe that if you are passionate about something you can handle anything. I really love what I do.

'My house, it's a big house and there's a big backyard area. Everything is kitted out for the cats. I designed and build it all myself.

'For me, safety and hygiene have been a priority.

'I have to be able to clean everything, wash everything down.

'The floors are vinyl and the walls are covered in plastic sheeting. Outside, it's all concrete so it is easy to hose it down.

'I have my own space in the house in the boiler room. I've built my own bathroom in there, and I have a little area where I have a microwave, a toaster oven and a sink.

'It's hard to keep the cats out of there at night, and a few seem to sneak in no matter what I do.'

The Happy Cat sanctuary, founded in 2006, is funded out of Chris' pocket as well as donations from the public.

In 2016, it cost $101,000 to maintain, including $80,000 for animal food and utilities and $21,000 on medicine and veterinary care.

Mr Arsenault, who gets up at 7am each day to care for the cats, decided to open the sanctuary's doors after he found 'a colony' of sick kittens on the side of a railway track.

The discovery came months after losing his son Eric, 24, in a motorcycle accident on Long Island's Cross Island Parkway.

He said: 'My son passed away on May 18, 2006, how could you ever forget the day? It changed my life.

'A couple of months after Eric died, I found a cat colony down by the tracks. I was a train conductor for New Jersey transit at the time.

'There were thirty little kittens and I could tell they were sick. I knew if I left them there they would die so I brought them home with me.

'I am a real animal lover. When I was a kid, I had rabbits and gerbils and dogs, you name it. Animals have always been my passion.

'After my son died, those cats gave me something to do.'

In the years that followed, he contacted local animal charities and shelters and began adopting more and more cats, until the population had swelled to 300.
 
The sanctuary has a policy to spay and neuter all cats who enter it and Chris seeks veterinary care when he can't treat ailing animals himself.

He said: 'Every day I have to treat the sick cats too.

'To keep control of this, I use colored paper collars.

'Depending on their illness, I treat them with different medications, and if it's something I can't fix, I make sure the cat gets to the vet.

'Last year I spent $22,000 on vet bills for the cats. I have every cat that enters the sanctuary neutered or sprayed.'

Despite the challenges, the dad-of-two says he is proud of the sanctuary he's built for cats who would have been euthanized without his efforts.

He added: 'When I open my bedroom door, there's about 50 or 60 cats waiting for me.

'Most of these cats were abused or abandoned when they came to the sanctuary, so it's been really a really rewarding thing to be able to give them a home and a place they feel safe.'

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Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x8lpWnipeE&sns=em

Chris Arsenault, pictured at Christmas with his cats and a sanctuary volunteer, has turned his house into a sanctuary for 300 cats
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_01.jpg

The retired train conductor has given his entire house and garden over to the abandoned felines, keeping just a small room for himself
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_02.jpg

Despite his house literally being flooded with cats, the 58-year-old said that he does not feel overwhelmed by them
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_03.jpg

His home is tailored to the felines, with hammocks, heated and handcrafted perches and roast chicken dinner
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_04.jpg

Mr Arsenault opened the cat sanctuary to help tackle his grief after he lost his son Eric (left) in a motorcycle accident in 2006
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_05.jpg

Mr Arsenault spends his days refilling water bowls, mucking out litter trays, mopping floors and ensuring his cats get the best care
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_06.jpg

An outdoor area in Mr Arsenault's garden, which is completely given over to the felines, he only has a small eight-by-twelve foot bedroom
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_07.jpg

He said: 'I truly believe that if you are passionate about something you can handle anything. I really love what I do'
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_08.jpg

Volunteers help Mr Arsenault to look after the cats who have their own specially made perches, like the ones pictured 
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_09.jpg

Mr Arsenault has built and designed the inside and outside areas of his home for the cats - pictured are some of the indoor perches
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_10.jpg

Mr Arsenault designed areas where the cats can enjoy themeselves - pictured are some of the outdoor areas
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_11.jpg

Mr Arsenault, who gets up at 7am each day to care for the cats, says that he started his sanctuary after finding a colony of sick kittens near a railway track
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_12.jpg

Mr Arsenault has always loved cats but in 2006, they became his life after his son's tragic and sudden death 
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_13.jpg

He said: 'There were thirty little kittens and I could tell they were sick. I knew if I left them there they would die so I brought them home with me'
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_14.jpg

Mr Arsenault has admitted that the cats helped him to deal with his grief and said: 'After my son died, those cats gave me something to do'
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_15.jog

In the years that followed, he contacted local animal charities and shelters and began adopting more and more cats
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_16.jpg

The population has swelled to over 300 and the sanctuary has a policy to spay and neuter all cats who enter it
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_17.jpg

Mr Arsenault said: 'Last year I spent $22,000 on vet bills for the cats. I have every cat that enters the sanctuary neutered or sprayed'
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_18.jpg

Mr Arsenault is proud of the sanctuary and said that without his efforts the cats would have been euthanized
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_19.jpg

He described his experience as rewarding and he said:  'When I open my bedroom door, there's about 50 or 60 cats waiting for me'
http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_021018_20.jpg


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And a couple songs about cats . . .

“A Cat Named Kalamazoo” by Hoyt Axton
http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/A_Cat_Named_Kalamazoo.mp3

“A Cat Named Sloopy” by Rod McKuen
http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/Rod_McKuen/A_Cat_Named_Sloopy.mp3


Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

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