With a new year, comes new goals and public necessities for healthy feline communities. Cats Alive SLV (CASLV) is a budding (2013-present) non-profit pledging to trap-neuter-release (TNR) even more abandoned cats this year — with your help, that is. So far, the number fixed in the San Luis Valley since 2013 is 1,230 kitties, according to their web site at: CatsAliveSLV.com.

Need One: Lisa Karst, president of CASLV, says the biggest need is to find volunteers who would fill out online grants ideal for the nonprofit. 

w Volunteers with administrative skills are needed.

w Answering phones and taking messages would tap another need.

w Several grants from big box stores have easy online forms to fill out. 

Need Two: Lisa Karst, president of CASLV, says, “I would like each person to get one cat fixed on their street. Just one can make so much difference when we do that across the Valley.”

w Karst also needs people to physically trap cats. CASLV has traps for volunteer trappers; and plans for a spay-neuter clinic as soon as possible. 

w One female cat can have three litters a year. Each litter can be as many as seven or eight. Then those cats have litters and so on. It’s estimated that trapping-neutering-returning one cat saves over 1,000 cats that would have been born and multiplied something like the Tribbles on that classic Star Trek episode from Dec. 29, 1967. However, this overpopulation leads to diseases among cats.

Need Three: Karst also said that in addition to spaying and neutering, Cats Alive SLV is refurbishing a building in Monte Vista as a future clinic, shelter and administration office. She and her board are optimistic about The Kittycorner Waystation (257 Adams in Monte Vista) set to open in the spring or summer of 2020. “I hope to have a spay-neutering clinic lined up with a Colorado Veterinarian,” she said. 

w The building will have a greeting area, surgery, recovery and shelter areas.  She is painting and laying floors, so it could use some physical volunteers to do some painting, etc.

w The Kittycorner Waystation mission continues the charge of Cats Alive SLV.  “We will be a limited admission cat shelter, focused on assisting Cats Alive SLV in their mission of reducing the community cat population through humane and effective TNR (trap, neuter, return) and rescue of strays and kittens. To this purpose, we will accept tame cats found on the streets and assist owned cats in finding new homes as we can. We will do both local adoptions and transfers to shelters in more populated regions that have higher adoption rates.” (kittycornerwaystation.org)

Need Four:  CASLV has a great need for fosters for cats and kittens.

w Also needed, community caretakers and drivers to pick up donated cat food from the front range

If interested, please call the main number at 719-298-7028 and leave a voicemail message, or email [email protected] to arrange a schedule and duties to volunteer. Donate to Cats Alive SLV electronically via PayPal or in person at 1st Southwest or by check/mail to PO Box 84, Alamosa, CO 81101 or 257 Adams State in Monte Vista 81144.

—Nelda Curtiss is a former substance-prevention media specialist, journalist, and retired college professor who enjoys writing and fine arts. Contact her at [email protected].