Funding feline philanthropy

By Sean McCarthy

Compassionate cat lovers, your feline needs you. Abandoned kittens from Fairhaven to Fall River are being rescued daily and are in need of care and assistance from loving owners. In the last year, the local nonprofit Moby Kit Rescue worked with area animal hospitals and animal control agencies to care for 320 cats, finding homes for more than 150, while raising in excess of $40,000 to care for these animals.

But their mission will only become more urgent with the onset of colder weather.

So when Moby Kit Rescue hosts their second annual Meowsquerade Ball on Friday, October 20, it will be an entertaining and feel-good evening that celebrates the season of Halloween while raising funds and awareness for this organization that rescues, heals, and attempts to find homes for kittens and cats in need.

The Meowsquerade Ball will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Heron Educational Center for the Human Spirit at 187 Plymouth Ave. in Fall River. For $15, guests can partake in costume contests, a silent auction, and a raffle. Food and beverages will be available for donations and guests are encouraged to bring photos of their cats in costume. The night will also include quality live music with Halloween themes from Dr. Gasp, as well as the Cemetery Swingers. Dr. Gasp is the alter ego of singer/songwriter Dan Blakesly, a nationally touring artist who recently performed on the Main Stage at the Newport Folk Festival. The repertoires of the two acts are described as “death positive.”

“Cats are people too,” says Moby Kit Rescue’s President and co-founder Sarah Donner of New Bedford. “I want people to dance and have fun and hopefully we’ll make some money to help some cats.”

Tickets can be purchased online at mobykitrescue.org, through Venmo @ mobykitrescue, or through EventBrite.

Furry Friends

Most kittens come to the attention of Moby Kit Rescue when a concerned person calls their 24-hour phone number, 844-662-9548. Most of the animals are abandoned and found by a roadside or a dwelling. Moby Kit Rescue helps facilitate the trapping, neutering, spaying, and transportation of the cats. The cats that are released aren't because they can't find homes, it's because they are feral and are not suited for adoption or domestic life.

People interested in taking in cats are encouraged to visit the Moby Kit Rescue website and leave their contact information. Many kittens spend time with foster families while they are still bottle feeding and are dependent on the assistance of the caregiver before they have a permanent home.

Moby Kit Rescue has a staff of 20 volunteers that tends to all areas of the process, from transportation to administrative tasks.

“It’s been my experience that helping out a fellow critter really helps you get out of your own head,” Donner says. “They are living beings who exist in the moment and who require your focus and diligence in order to thrive. For me, they are welcome fuzzy distractions who communicate what they need when they need it. Most of the kittens come from unfortunate situations of neglect or abandonment, but we have the resources to improve their lives. Changing someone else’s life for the better encourages me to move forward. When the world seems like a disaster you still have the power to make one life better. That in turn makes my life better.”

Donner claims that caring for cats and kittens is a perpetual learning experience.

“I love their personalities – their ability to carry themselves in their aloof cat ways,” she says. “They surprise me. Every time I think I know something about cats I find another cat that flips that on its head. You learn a lot about cats and kittens – so much more than you thought you knew. I have been in rescue for almost twenty years myself, and I’m constantly being educated about these animals. Cats are independent and that jives with my own lifestyle and travels.

Sean McCarthy has been a freelance journalist for 35 years. He lives in New Bedford.