For many students, the companionship of an animal is the perfect stress reliever for the ups and downs of schoolwork.
Cat Haven, a nonprofit cat shelter, aims to help students accomplish this by bringing them the entertainment of a furry friend and more with its adoption center.
“We take our [kittens] in from the public who have found stray or abandoned animals, whose owners have become ill or died, and we pull lots of [kittens] from Companion Animal Alliance,” said Operations Director Candy Ray.
Ray said Cat Haven had 846 adoptions last year and wants to reach 1,000 this year.
A hallway of rooms house different groups of cats — young and playful cats, fat cats and all the cats in between. LSU students are welcome to come and play with the cats during Cat Haven’s hours of operation, Ray said.
Cat Haven has seen its fair share of interesting felines. Mamba is the perfect example, Ray said. Mamba is a domestic shorthair mix from the streets of Brooklyn, New York. However, his world travels are not the most fascinating thing about him. Mamba has thumbs, a feature in Polydactyl cats.
“His owner moved to Baton Rouge, then after a year or so had to move again,” Ray said. “His roommate was unable to keep Mamba at the time. He’s been with us for a few months, but the owner’s former roommate is actually adopting him this week.”
There also is a room dedicated to cats on the heavier side. The staff affectionately calls it the “Fat Cats’ Room.” The cats range in weight from 18 to 20 pounds.
Almost every day, new cats and kittens are brought into the shelter, so Cat Haven relies on support from the community, Ray said. There are many different ways LSU students can get involved.
For students looking for a part-time furry friend instead of a full-time commitment, fostering is an option.
After applying on the website, Cat Haven requests foster parents as needed. Kittens are fostered for three weeks and then returned to the shelter. Supplies are provided by the shelter, making it an easy way for college students to have a pet without a huge financial commitment, Ray said.
“We are desperate for foster homes. The more foster homes we have, the more lives we can save,” Ray said.
Students can also volunteer at Cat Haven to help give the potential adoptees some love and care.
Cat Haven relies on volunteers to take kittens to and from vet appointments and spay or neutering surgeries. They also need help cleaning cages, cat carriers and doing laundry. During the school year, they ask for volunteers to help with LSU Spay Day on the last Sunday of the month at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Ray said.
Though some of the work is a little hands on, there’s always time to visit with the kittens before you leave.
Cat Haven also receives financial support from garage sales and its event, “The Cat-illion — Cat Haven’s 14th Cat Tales & Cocktails Gala.”Held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Oct. 30, emcee and local TV reporter Whitney Vann will be host the evening’s events. Food and drinks will be served while guests browse the silent auction.

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Karen Welsh

Kittens at Cat Haven.