“Oh, FINALLY you’re back!” said Mike, a kitty caregiver at Colonel’s Barracks, one of the cathouses in Cat World, part of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southwest Utah. Mike expertly scooped up Patricia, the tiger-striped cat my nine-year-old son and I just taken on a kitty sleepover during our three-day volunteering stint at the the animal sanctuary, the nation’s largest no-kill safe haven for displaced, homeless or unwanted domestic animals. With a syringe Mike had apparently been carrying about his person, he squirted a dose of medicine into her mewing mouth, and then deposited several firm, loving kisses on her head and ears before releasing her into her cat quarters.
Dog trainer Ann Allums rollerblading to help Jackson the dog burn off energy. Photo by Gary Kalpakoff.
I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. We’re about twenty minutes late, aren’t we? It was hard to get both cats back in their carriers, collect all of the wet and dry food and water dishes, empty the litter pan and get here by 8:15 am to return the cats on time.”
Mike seemed partially mollified. However, despite the fact that Miss Patricia is one of about 150 cats in this particular house, Mike clearly knew all of these cats’ dietary and medicinal needs. In fact, during our stay at Best Friends, I was most struck by the fact that all of the staff seemed to know all of the animals, what their names are, how they were acquired, their quirks and length of stay at the sanctuary.
My son Sam and I had arrived at the sanctuary two days earlier, and we had three cats spend the night at our cabin with us on two consecutive nights, as a part of the animal sleepover program run by the sanctuary in order to help the animals become more comfortable with people, and therefore more adoptable. In fact, the slogan for Best Friends is “No More Homeless Pets,” and everything the staff does is geared toward finding homes for all of their 2,000 animals, a motley assortment of cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, pigs, goats, horses, and assorted wildlife on their way to rehabilitation. With a 75 percent adoption rate, they’re coming close to their goal.
Apollo the cat on a hotel slepover. (Nice digs!) Photo by Sarah Ause.
What is happening here in Utah is in fact, a massive animal lovefest, enacted by serious animal devotees, both hired workers and their ever-growing cadre of volunteers who assist in this remote corner of the state, near Kanab, close to the Arizona border. Started by 20 British friends with a common cause for animal rescue, the facility on 3,500 pristine acres now has more than 400 employees, and a swelling list of volunteers who, though handled with grace, organization and efficiency, threatens to engulf them by their sheer numbers and blundering good intentions.
As a single mom, I’m always looking for unusual, enriching experiences for Sam, but up to this point, volunteering hadn’t been among them. We own two cats, and are dotty over them, treating them like beloved family members, so an opportunity to volunteer overnight at Best Friends seemed like just the thing. Besides, I wanted Sam to see animals that have less. I hadn’t bargained on the exquisite care these “homeless” animals receive, as is demonstrated by the enormous wait list for animals whose owners can no longer keep them.
Gorgeous desert views from the lunchroom patio, where Best Friends volunteers can dine during the day. Photo by Gary Kalpakoff.
I didn’t spend much time beyond a cursory tour of the other animal facilities, but as a cat volunteer, I became acquainted with most of the ten cathouses, personally volunteering in three of them over the course of our stay. We swept floors, brushed kitty beds, helped prepare wet food dishes, and “socialized” with the cats, giving them much needed brushing and petting sessions.
There are the floor cats, which lounge around on the ample bedding provided, within petting reach, and the “rafter cats,” who live up in the roofs of each run (which generally house about 23 cats each) and peer down suspiciously at the steady flow of visitors, volunteers, and frequent tours. These rafter cats don’t have the same chance of being adopted, but all the workers strive to turn rafter cats, or ferals, into cats that will allow petting and show affection, which in turn, might lead to future adoption.
The "Disney barn" is a popular stop on the Best Friends tour; the site was actually used in the 1970s film "One Little Indian."
We’ve been home for a couple weeks now, our trip a snippet of memory, jogged by the two books we own, Dogtown, and Kittyville, both books about the sanctuary, and the former the inspiration for a National Geographic cable series on the dogs of Best Friends’ Dogtown. We miss Fo, the sleek black cat who spent the night at our cabin inside the covers, meowing softly and purring, and crotchety Cybil, who at 17, is a cat matriarch. We recall fondly Miss Patricia, who got herself into a hell of a mess when she climbed inside our cabin crockery cabinet, and Miss Dot, a special needs cat from Benton’s House, who is blind. Though she didn’t come on a sleepover, Miss Dot still managed to worm her way into our hearts. Probably because of her blindness, her pupils were huge, making her look permanently lovesick. She climbed all over Sam while we were in her presence. Who knows, maybe she thought he was one of the cat trees dotting the room.
Just the other day, Sam gave a big sigh. “Mom. I love Miss Dot. I miss her. I really do.” And so, I find, do I. I care about these cats now, and so, obviously, do many, many, other people, in far-flung locations. No more homeless pets!
If you’d like to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, check out these FAQ for planning your visit, including how to get there and where to stay. And here are details about how to volunteer.
Also consider a vacation package from Green Earth Travel, which combines a stint at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, with time spent in Zion National Park or the Grand Canyon.
TeacherGal Lucy Osius and her son Sam live in Leadville, Colorado, where Lucy teaches first grade and Sam is finishing up third grade. They will be heading out for another adventure in August, as Lucy has accepted a teaching job at a private school in Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E. Their cats, Daisy and Kiwi, will be staying with a friend during their absence.
Photos courtesy Best Friends Animal Society.
How interesting. I didn’t know places like this existed in the West. It seems like a cool concept to stay with the animals. I’m sure I too would want to take home a few pets after such an experience.
I agree! It does sound like the perfect opportunity for animal lovers.