SLATINGTON, Pa. — The cat’s out of the bag, but don’t worry — she’s perfectly safe in Foxy’s Cradle’s new mobile kitten unit.
Months after shutting down its home base at owner Kandice Reinert’s home in North Whitehall Township, the organization celebrated the launch of its revamped rescue, adoption and education unit Sunday at Friedens Fire Company.
Foxy’s Cradle volunteer Lori Merkel explained her fellow volunteers had helped gut the camper and fix it up with crates and neonatal units that can be used for all sorts of events.
"Kind of as a cozy, calm place."Foxy’s Cradle volunteer Lori Merkel
“It's a mobile adoption unit, so we can do parties and events, maybe birthday parties, kitten cafes or some ideas where people could rent it and have some coffee and kitten time," Merkel said. "Kind of as a cozy, calm place."
It also will use the camper to hold meet-and-greet events with potential pet parents and the cats, Merkel said, as the familiar environment and play area are ideal for adopters to get a feel for some furry friends.
Reinert was rather busy throughout Sunday's event. Fortunately, she had a plethora of volunteers helping out with food, drinks — including a Kitty Town Coffee and tea station — merchandise and a 50/50 drawing, all in support of Foxy’s Cradle.
As a little bonus, anyone who brought a donation to the event got an exclusive little tour of the camper.
Opening opportunities
Reinert said she was pleased to see the official launch of the vehicle, as her operation has had quite the battle.
North Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board put a stop to the operation several months ago, citing issues with permissible use of Reinert’s home as a foster and rescue operation.
After months of dispersing neonates and their incubators among fosters to keep them safe, the new kittenmobile offers an innovative strategy to adhere to ordinances while providing an increased coverage area to care for cats.
“We can go to like people's private properties, or we can go to whatever their venue is that they're having their birthday party at, and we can bring the kittens to that."Foxy's Cradle owner Kandice Reinert
“We can go to any community event, like Paw Prints on the Canal in Northampton,” Reinert said.
“We're taking it to Becky's Drive-In for the 'Garfield' [movie] release the end of the month, and we're taking it to ... a bunch of different community events for education and outreach.”
Information at those events includes topics such as trap/neuter/release programs, which can play a vital part in control local feral cat populations.
Reinert and the volunteers said they still are navigating the complex nature of legal issues linked to running a mobile cat unit.
But they said they expect they’ll be able to partake in plenty of fun and informative events throughout the Lehigh Valley very soon.
And even though kids love their kittens, the appeal of those little furballs can touch just about anyone’s heart.
“We can go to like people's private properties, or we can go to whatever their venue is that they're having their birthday party at, and we can bring the kittens to that,” Reinert said.
“We had one woman who reached out, she's turning 60, and she wants us to bring this to a 60th birthday party for herself because she likes cats. So like it's not just for kids.”
Volunteers help
It was readily apparent Sunday that the novel mobile unit already had struck a chord with cat lovers both local and beyond.
Some volunteers ventured from hours away to check out the event.
It resonated with volunteers-in-training Grace and Hannah Bauer, the nieces of Foxy’s Cradle supporter Diana Bauer.
“I think it was good, and I really liked it.”Grace Bauer, 7
“I think it was good, and I really liked it,” Grace Bauer, 7, said.
Asked whether she thinks it's important to take of cats as her aunt does, Hannah, age 6, said, “It is important, a lot.”
Lori Wexler, a volunteer at Helping Paws of Upper Darby, Delaware County, was pitching in to help Foxy’s Cradle on Sunday.
Referring to the new mobile unit, Wexler said, “it’s amazing,” and commended the Foxy’s team on the amazing work and tenacity to bring the project to life.
Matt McClanahan, who with Laura McChesney co-owns Shankweiler’s Drive-In in Orefield, stopped on by the kittenmobile to check out the action.
After all, rescue cats are central to the Shankweiler’s owners, who found their own little kitten on their premises — that would be Funnel Cake — more than a year ago.
The cat's pajamas
McClanahan said there just might be a few partner events in the future with Shankweiler’s and Foxy’s Cradle.
“We are so much behind them, and so supportive of their mission because this mission’s a little near and dear to our own adoption story," McClanahan said.
"So we’re doing anything that we can do to support this in our community because there are a lot of cats that do need our help. We're happy to be a part of it, however we can be.”
And while it was a fun opportunity to celebrate the premier of the Cat Bus — er, mobile cat unit — Reinert and her team still are busy with running the off-site elements of the operation.
Foster homes still are needed to house neonates who have yet to reach the age of adoption — and a ride in the camper. Reinert estimated there are about 150 kittens under the age of adoption at foster homes at the moment.
Foxy’s Cradle also is on the lookout for socially adept volunteers who can work with the public at special events, especially those with TNR knowledge, and people who have a knack for running children’s programming for birthday events.
Those with connections to fundraising support also are needed, Reinert said, including people who can run a kitchen.
Even with all that work, Reinert said she's still thrilled to see part of her plan come to fruition.
And while no one said it out loud, it’s clear the mobile kitten unit is the cat’s meow.
Or maybe the cat’s pajamas?
