A couple years ago a two-

day-old kitten was brought into the

clinic at California Men’s Colony

West Facility (CMC-W) where I

work as a registered nurse. No one

in the clinic felt they would be able

to care for a kitten so young. I vol-

unteered to take it home and do the

best I could. My mother-in-law bot-

tle fed that kitten back to life and the

kitten is now a frisky adult. At the

same time, I was noticing how many

feral cats were at the prison. I began

discussing the feral cat population

with anyone who would listen. I

started having all of the kittens peo-

ple could catch brought to me in the

clinic so I could find homes for

them, but this wasn’t solving the

problem. The feral cats were pro-

creating and often having more than

one litter a year.

One day I was driving and I saw a sign for Feline Network and I thought I’d give them a call to see

if they could assist with reducing the feral cat population at CMC-W. I called and left a message and Chris-

tine called me back. The two of us set up a

plan to let me take the feral cats to Woods

Humane Society to be spayed or neutered.

Since that time, I have been taking feral cats

and kittens to Woods to be spayed or neu-

tered and then releasing them back onto

prison grounds. (Continued on page 7)

Feline Conjugal Visits Curtailed at CMC

Anitra has found homes for over

45 kittens and has had over 50 cats and

kittens spayed and neutered. “That is

probably just the tip of the iceberg,”

Anitra said. Staff members feed the cats

that are still on prison grounds and

sometimes bring in Advantage to treat

for fleas. Anitra has done a fabulous job

and continues to work hard to help the

cats. Thank you, Anitra! Well done!

Darn! Just when things were getting lively around here.

By Anitra Essen

Two kittens with real striped pajamas snooze after their “prison break.” The majority of kittens and cats spayed and neutered at CMC were orange tabbies.

The Feline Network A Kindhearted Approach to Feline Overpopulation

P.O. Box 526, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 (805) 549-9228 www.felinenetwork.org

Winter 2012

Dear Friends,

It is hard to believe that another year has passed. And what a

busy year it has been. We would like to once again express our grati-

tude to everybody for your efforts in helping our feline friends. Thank

you to all of our foster homes, feral cat feeders, veterinarians and

adopt-a-pet helpers. A special thanks this year to our dedicated trap-

pers, who in the first nine months of the year have already helped with

the spay or neuter of almost 500 stray or feral cats, significantly more

than we have been able to do in any previous year. This hard work

should yield substantial reductions in the number of strays wandering

our neighborhoods and help prevent unimaginable suffering.

And of course a big thank you to all of our donors out there,

without whom we could not do any of this. Every penny of your do-

nations continues to go directly to the spay/neuter, medical care or

feeding of the cats and kittens.

Thanks again, everybody, and I wish you all pleasant holidays

and a Happy New Year!

Darrell Sisk

President

2

Board of Directors

Darrell Sisk: President

Members of the Board:

Ira Alpert, Mary Buehnerkemper,

Christine Collie, Ann Garrett,

Debra Holt, Leslie Jarvick,

Newsletter Editor: Ann Garrett

Co-Editors: Christine Collie,

Debra Holt

Graphic Design: Leslie Jarvick

Adopt-A-Cats

Most Saturdays at

PETCO

Madonna Plaza

San Luis Obispo

11AM—4PM

The Caroline and Albert Gazin

Foundation

The Glide Foundation

PETCO

The Woodward Fund

Cold Canyon Processing Facility

The Walmart Foundation

The Green Bargain Store

Happy Tails Kennel

Marsha & Ira Alpert

Margie Beaman

Patricia Beckman

Nancy Beckstrom

Dwynwen Blackstone

Loretta Bonjour

Linelle Butler

Linda & Herb Clarke

Dr. & Mrs Zorus Colglazier

Margaret Collier & Raul Castillo

Dorothy Correa & Garrett Foulke

Cathy De Alva

Ellen Dollar

Donald Ellis & Sherry Chang

Candace & Bert Forbes

Bob & Marleta Garner

Shirley & Hal Gilbert

Donna Guild

Roland & Debra Hinkle

Phyllis Hischier

Gabrielle Hubbard

Carolee Hunt

Millie James

Jackie Johnson

Judith Kaliski

Cathy Kermer

Blaire & Morgan Kilbey

Nancy Kolliner

Bette Kulp & Frank Little

Paula Lowe

Phyllis & Jerry Lynch

John & Ann McMullen

Judy Michener

Geri & Dick Mills

Jon O'Hare

Ginny & Frank Pekar

Robbin Peterson

Laura Price

Carol & Peter Reese

Judy Saltzman

Gabriella Schrader

Richard & Wanda Sears

Jane Short

Jerry & Roberta Silbert

Isabel & Larry Smith

Marion Soltz & Cara Wimer

Charlotte & Chris Wilbert

Beth Williams

Laura Zohns

Greetings from the President

A Newsletter Option If you would like to help us save paper by receiving your Feline Network newsletter online, please send us an email at info@felinenetwork.org and put “online newsletter” in the subject box.

"Jingle Bells, jingle Bells, jingle all

the way home, my Maine Coon sister

and I, we need a happy home, hey!! Jin-

gle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

home, oh what fun it would to live be in

a happy home." Call Christine at 544-6138

3

In our winter 2011 newsletter, we described a situation

where 42 feral cats and kittens, some quite ill, were living in an

empty lot at the end of a long driveway lined with duplex houses in

Arroyo Grande. They were the result of one resident not getting a

female cat spayed. Feline Network trapped and fixed every cat and

nursed the ill ones back to health. Eight adult feral cats were put

back on the property and a feeding station was set up.

The other cats were placed in foster homes and eventually

adopted…except for Checkers and Dapple Gray. They are sweet

and love to play, but they were too shy to take to adopt-a-pets. Af-

ter a year of fostering them, with heavy hearts we decided to return

them to the empty dirt lot where they had been originally trapped.

I was talking to one of the residents to make arrangements

to set up a temporary relocation cage for the cats when a miracle

happened. A neighbor,

Tammy Herz, poked her

head over the fence and

offered to have the cage

set up in her yard. The

yard turned out to be a

Garden of Eden para-

dise!

Tammy and Joe

Herz have two cats of

their own and a dog, but

they did everything imaginable to make the relocation of Dapple and

Checkers a smooth one. The list of all of the projects they have done

for these cats is too long to itemize, but Checkers and Dapple each

have their own custom hand-painted condo with a window view look-

ing out onto a glorious garden. The condos are located on mini pri-

vate decks with shady quarters down below. The condos have real

roof shingles and yes, rain gutters! Inside are plush, cozy beds. The

feeding station has

steps leading up to

another tailor-made

deck area that is rainproof.

The best part of this story is the bonding relationship that

has been formed. Every morning and evening, after Tammy feeds

Checkers and Dapple, they have a love fest. The cats adore her

and beg for love. We honestly did not know if Tammy would

ever see these cats again once they were released from the cage,

or whether she would ever have a chance to pet them, but it turns

out that they have never stepped one paw out of the yard.

About a week after Checkers and Dapple Gray were relo-

cated to the Herz home, the owner of the adjoining property

where all the cats had been originally trapped and altered no

longer wanted the cats on the property and disbanded the feeding

station. Tammy and Joe generously came to the rescue, bought a

new shed, and customized it so that all the cats would have a

place to come and eat. Oh, if only these cat saints could be

cloned!

Two Tickets to Paradise By Annie Dreizler

Checkers and Dapple Gray await their morning “love fest.”

Dapple Gray is the Lady of her Manor.

Checkers takes a siesta in his new abode. “Fleece feels good to the fur,” says he.

PROVIDERS OF SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES Animal Hospital of San Luis Obispo, Cat & Exotic

Care of the Central Coast, Five Cities Veterinary Hos-

pital, Homeward Bound Mobile Veterinary Care, Los

Osos Pet Hospital and Bear Valley Animal Clinic, Pis-

mo Beach Veterinary Clinic, San Luis Obispo Veteri-

nary Clinic, Woods Humane Society

ADOPT-A-CAT HELPERS Our coordinator, Benita Smith, and her set-up crew of

Betty King & Carol Martinez, plus

Ira Alpert, Jamie & Matt Bain, An-

nie Burns, Lynette Crane, Randall

Husk, Kevin McCracken, Rebecca

Roybal, Laura Sisk, Craig Smith,

Pamela Werth

FOSTER HOMES

Jamie & Matt Bain, Annie Burns &

son Russell, Michelle Butz &

daughter Jenna, Lynette Crane, Teri

Crosby, Annie Dreizler, Jean Hen-

ry, Jennifer Hilty & son Zachary,

Diana Lamb, Carol Landry, Rhon-

da Myers & sister Connie Dugan,

Briana Shean, Benita & Craig

Smith, Anna Stewart & daughter

Allison, Lucy Taylor, Pamela

Werth & husband Kevin McCrack-

en, Jeneale & Jim Nett and sons

Ryan & Ricky, Rebecca & Chris

Roybal, Kathy Schwanitz & hus-

band Hugh Smith and daughter Julie Mei

FERAL CAT FEEDERS Eldra Avery, Jim Denton, Annie Dreizler, Connie

Dugan, Marilyn Forselles, Carol Goldberg, Cheryl

Heppell, Jennifer Hilty, Lisa Hillsinger, Chris Hoff-

meyer, Vicky Holland, Rhonda Myers, Laurie & Pete

Olson, Benita Smith, Charmaine Taylor, Lucy Taylor

NEWSLETTER MAILINGS Iris Alexandra, Vicky & Craig Johnsen, Judy Michener,

Buzzy & April Stokes

TRAPPERS Jim Denton, Annie Dreizler, Connie Dugan, Cheryl

Heppell, Jennifer Hilty, Ananda Holloway, Carol Land-

ry, Rhonda Myers, George & Minnie Schicker, Char-

maine Taylor, Lucy Taylor, Raven Woodards

OTHERS Sally Adam, donating & delivering feral cat food

Shelby Bohl, Webmaster

Vanissa Brandt, who turned her many volunteer hours

into $500 in grants for the Feline Network through the

Wal-Mart Foundation’s Volunteerism Always Pays

program.

Dr. Maxwell Conn & Staff at Cat & Exotic Care,

generously providing spay/neuter & medical care for

many cats & kittens

Lynette Crane, coordinating trap-

ping, rescues & foster homes in the

South County as well as answering

several of our phone lines

Anitra Essen for single-handedly

undertaking the huge feral cat prob-

lem at CMC, including trapping,

transporting for spay or neuter, fos-

tering, feeding and finding homes

for many cats and kittens

Elaine Genasci, media relations

services

The Green Bargain Store in

Grover Beach, making Feline Net-

work information available year

round, posting cats for adoption on

bulletin board & maintaining dona-

tion jar

Dr. Kenneth Hallock & Staff at

the Animal Hospital of SLO, gen-

erously providing medical care for

many cats & kittens

June McIvor & The Law Firm of Sinsheimer, Juhn-

ke, McIvor & Stroh, providing conference room for

board meetings

John Michener, hosting website

PETCO, providing a site for our adopt-a-cats and se-

lecting us as their Charitable Partner to receive dona-

tions from their humane fundraising programs

Gabriella Schrader, cat care and pet sitting

Kathy Schwanitz, layout of our Spring 2012 newslet-

ter and redesign and printing of spay/neuter fliers

Laura Sisk, bookkeeping services

Anna Stewart, vaccinating and overseeing medical

care of many foster cats in the South County

Karl von Kries, reformatting our website

Victoria Wood, picking up & sorting Feline Network

mail, transporting supplies between SLO & the South

County &, last but not least, doing a tremendous job

coordinating our volunteer luncheon at Biddle Park

We Couldn’t Do It Without You!

4

PETCO’s awesome employee, Erik Purinton, brings his adopted boy, Arte-mis, to show former foster mom and longtime volunteer, Pamela Werth at our Adopt a Cat event.

5

Marvin & Deborah Abney

Sally & John Adam

Laurie Aguilar

Martha Aivaz

Lorraine Akelian

Paul Allen

Priscilla Alquist

Joseph Amanzio

Nyla Amerman

Beth Anderson

Mark & Helen Anderson

Dale Andrews

Jim & Jenny Anthony

Lynn Arensdorf

Karen Armstrong

John & Becky Baer

Marlene Barkley

Carolyn Barr

Tamara & Steve Becker

Elva Beeks

Adele & Danny Beher

Craig Bell

Pat & John Benson

Nancy Bernard

Diana & Keith Bing

Robert Blackstone

Shelby Bohl &

Karl Von Kries

Geri Bolivar

Ray & Sonya Bracken

Ruth & Jack Brackett

Shirley & Herman

Bradshaw

Michael Brannagan &

Celeste Chittenden

Peter Bresler

John Bridgeman

Margeaux Brochtrup

Elsa & Vernon Brody

Bruce Brown

Connie Brown

Mary Brown & Robert

Schingler

Nancy & Leonard Brown

Tamara & Keith Brown

Susan Buckley

Julie Eslick-Bull

Virginia Bunnell

Dorothy Burns

Heather Burns

Linda & Gene Burris

Hal & Pat Buscher

Gary & Cindy Byllesby

Corliss Campbell &

Richard Schmidt

Jeri Carroll

Cars 4 Causes

Bob Carter

Marcia & David Carter

Michelle Cavin

Central Coast Guitar

Society

Judith Childress

Nancy Chilton

Cari & Craig Clark

Jeraine Clogston

Coalesce Bookstore

Jeannie Cochran

Evayn Martin-Coen

Claudia Coleman

Mary Cooper

Kathleen & Robert

Copeland

Alice Coppers

Lori Coulter

Lynette Crane

Patricia Crowe

Nancy & Tom Cullen

Elora Curtis

Irene Dailey

Barbara & Jack Daily

Pamela & Saul David

Pat & Leonard Davidman

Marie Davis

Kay De Smet

Sandy & Terry Deal

Ramona DeBorde

Anne Denman

Carol Denneen

Chris & David Dexter

Barbara Diaz

Marion Dietz

Sarah Diggs

Vern Dillon

Betty Dodson

Ray & Simone Dominik

Rive Douglass

Rose Drago

Patricia Dreizler

Florris Drury

Zeta Dubarry

Lynn & Lee Dudacek

David & Connie Dunbar

Niki Eckis

Kim & Rod Edwards

Doris Faulkner

Linda Field

Beatriz Fosse

Karen Frair

Glenn Geissinger

Elaine Genasci

Patti George

Mike & Barbara Geringer

Kathy Geyer

Chuck & Dana Gilstrap

Scott & Chelly Glancy

Donna Godfrey

Saul & Carol Goldberg

Jean Gordon

Carol Gray

Betty Griffin

Nicole Groshong

Reggie Grothe

Richard & Vera Hagler

Marjorie Hanks

Mary Harrison

Dan & Carol Hathaway

Annette Hatzman

George Hauser

Corki Henderson

Susan & Roger Henslin

Donna Herbst

Renee Hicks

Don & Helen Hightower

Arylane Hill

Richard Hirschbek

Marsha Houston

Judith Howard

Shelby Hyosaka

Joanie James

Cindi Jasper

Patricia Jenkins

Vicky & Craig Johnsen

Charlotte &

Marvin Johnson

Dan & Marianne Johnson

Francie & Neil Johnson

Sabrina & Michael

Johnson

Leslie Jones &

John Hofschroer

Beverly Joy

Jacqueline Kahn

Klara & James Karsai

Glori & Roger Keech

Julia Keefe

Judie Kewish

Dennis & Kay Key

Melbra & Nicholas King

Sharie King

Peter Kinkade

Lynette Kirkpatrick

Sally Knight

David Kornberg

Rudy Kraft

Peter Krynak

Olivia Labastida

Elaine Ladewig

Josephine Laing &

Frank Zika

Seona & Jeff Lampman

Lynn Lane

Amy Lehmann

Mary Jane Leimer

Carol Lemen

Chrissy Lencioni

Karen Lewis

Kathy & Ken Lockwood

Lana Lucas

Ada Luedke

Jim Lukey

Suzanne & Tim Lytsell

Al & Mary Mager

Adele Mansfield

Collette Marie

Patricia Markcity

Kim Martin

Alfred & Linda Martinelli

Kathy Marx

Marina & Randy Matthews

Nancy May

Sandy McComas

John & Jennifer

McConaghy

Mitzi McCullough

John McGee

Bonnie McIvor

Connie McLean

(Continued on page 6)

Barbara McLongstreet

Ronald Mead &

Susan Williams

Sandra Mertz

Heidi Mikel

Cheryl Miller

Kristin Miller

Mike & Judy Miller

Rosemarie &

Kenneth Miller

Doug & Debbie Mitchell

Jon & Karen Moerman

Phyllis Molnar

Tom & Nancy Monroe

Anthony Morrocco

John Mottmann

Mary & Earle Murie

Margaret Murnane

Scott & Sandra Naumann

Jody Neal

Mike & Michele Neuhauser

Sharon & Jack Neville

Carolyn Niblick

Pearl Nicholson

Stanley Nix

Scott & Sharon Noller

Barbara Nordin &

Ann Travers

Cindy Nunes

Ray & Kim O'Bryan

Barbara O'Connor

Jan Ojerholm

Tim & Joan O'Keefe

Patricia O'Lear

Sandra Olinger

Laurie & Pete Olsen

Jeri O'Neil

Amy Overby

Emilie Palozej

Gloria Pautz

Gail Perez

Joyce Perkins

David & Aglaja Peter

Lovaun & Melvin Pfeil

Marilyn Piceno

Terry Pierce

Tony Pires

Pismo Coast Village

Irma Powell

Becky Price

Patsy Randall

Sharon Reese

Tricia Reichert

Kara Reid

Claude Remillard

Diane Rhodes

Wendy Richardson

Billie & Jean Robertson

Connie Rodgers

Donna Rogers

Robben Romano

Karl Rose

Gary & Darlene Sawyer

George & Minnie Schicker

Shirley Scott

Maureen Segor

Alice & Robert Sennett

Ethel Shapard

Wendell Shultz

Marilyn Sieling

Lee Ann Simmons

Linda Sims

Steve & Jane Sinton

Alexa & Charles Slem

Roberta Soules

Joseph St Clair

Carol Staib

Barbara Stanley

Darlene Stemper

Estelle Steynberg

Barbara & Tom Stokes

Lynnette Storrs

Duane Strate

Donna Sullivan

Barbara Sutton

Peter Sysak

Marilyn Rivas- Tate

Sheila Taylor

Robert & Pamela

Thompson

Alyce Thorp &

Bob Mayberry

Thelma Trueg

Janell Tyler

Rochele Ullum

Mikie Vavroch

Dr. Fred & Anne

Vernacchia

Tony Villegas, Sr

Jody Wakefield

Kathleen Walker

Kristine Wayland

Rebecca & Mark Weegar

Fred Weggel

Alice Welchert

Alice & Everett Whitbeck

Irene White

Mary Whitson

Barbara Wilkins

Judy Woodbridge

Liz Woods

Joe & Corky Woodward

Michele Yokotake

Karin Young

Jill Zamek

Helga Zimmerer

“Generous Donors” (Continued from page 5)

6

Would you like an exciting and rewarding volunteer position? Join our team and help us im-prove the lives of stray and feral cats. We need trappers in Morro Bay, Los Osos, San Luis Obispo and the South County. Feral cats are trapped, spayed or neu-tered and returned to safe feeding locations. Feral kittens, if young enough, are socialized for adop-tion. Humane traps and training are provided Please call Christine at 544-6138.

Have you ever considered

sharing your home with a duo of

outdoor felines? These pairs of

young cats would be perfect.

They can rid your yard of un-

wanted rodents or just keep you

company when you’re enjoying

some outdoor leisure time. They

are friendly but may be a bit shy

at first. They would be so grateful

for a caring home.

Outdoor cats will need

safety from predators, shelter

from the weather and daily food

and water. They are fixed and

vaccinated. In other words, they

are move-in ready. Call Christine

at 544-6138 to find out more

about these featured cats and oth-

ers awaiting a permanent place to

live.

Good Homes Needed for Backyard and Garage Kitties Trappers Can Change Lives

Speck (above) & Sammy, gentle, shy yet friendly and close friends

Benji (above) & Shiloh love petting and have great hunter potential

To Honor and Remember

In Loving Memory of

Barbara Mori, “a past member of the Central Coast Guitar Society who loved her cats

and appreciated and participated in good music,” by members of the Central Coast

Guitar Society

Jim Baum, “beloved father of Debra Holt, long-time Feline Network board member.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy on her loss,” by her friends at the Feline Network.

Amber, “my beloved cat whom I miss SO terribly. She passed away in 2005 at age

18-1/2,” by Collette Marie.

Andre, the Giant Kitty, “our 22-pound Maine Coon boy. We lost him in May,” by

Neil & Francie Johnson.

Boris, “our best-ever cat,” by Linda & Herb Clarke.

Bucky, “long-time (20 year) companion cat of Meredith Bates,” by Ann Travers &

Barbara Nordin.

LuLu, “my friend Pat Hamilton’s beloved cat,” by Marilyn Piceno.

Sarah, “treasured cat of John & Judy Michener, loved by all who knew her,” by their

friends at the Feline Network.

Sugar, “born 1994, spending 17 years in SLO County, most of it with Mark & Helen

Anderson,” by Beth Anderson.

In Honor of

George Schicker. “Thank you for trapping! My feral mom and son are lap cats now

thanks to the Feline Network in 2008!” by Paula C. Lowe

Several of the inmates have been very help-

ful in catching the feral cats and kittens. In the be-

ginning I was frequently asked by the inmates if I

was going to have the cats destroyed but because I

brought them back to the institution they have begun

to realize that spaying and neutering is actually

healthier for the cats. They have begun to under-

stand that this program keeps the cats from fighting

and stops so many kittens from being born with dis-

ease or dying from malnutrition or simply being

killed by other wildlife.

I would like to

thank Feline Network for

helping to organize this en-

deavor and paying for the

cost of vaccinations and

spaying and neutering. I

would also like to thank the

cordial staff at Woods for

their assistance in schedul-

ing the many appointments.

And I would especially like to thank the officers at

CMC, because without their assistance I would not

be able to get this job done. Although not every of-

ficer is a cat lover, I have never had anything but

pleasant support.

“Conjugal Visits” (Continued from page 1)

7

Thank you, Anitra

Sugar Wait, wait, hold on Another moment, But no; I must go, Heaven is now my home. I will be there, waiting, To be petted and again dearly Held in your safe arms. Needn’t hurry. My Little sister Spice is here! Sugar and Spice; found. Beth Anderson

Rebecca

and Chris Roybal

are our most re-

cent volunteers.

Rebecca is an

animal science

major at Cal Poly

and wants to

work profession-

ally in a position

where she can

improve the lives

of animals, for

example in a zoo.

Rebecca and

Chris have been

fostering two kit-

tens, Daisy and Tyson, that were once a bit shy but have

made significant progress under their loving care.

Although they are not siblings, these kitties are very

bonded. Daisy is a six-month-old gray-and-white tabby

that is quite active and playful. Tyson is a four-month-

old orange tabby, and he adores his adopted older sister.

The kitties are very affectionate and loving. We would

like to find them a home together. Please call Rebecca at

264-3596 for information.

Rebecca sports her captivating kitties, Daisy and Tyson, ready for adoption.

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID SAN LUIS OBISPO,

CA PERMIT NO. 472

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID SAN LUIS OBISPO,

CA PERMIT NO. 472

P.O. Box 526

San Luis Obispo, CA

93406

(805) 549-9228

Return Service Requested

8

We are so pleased to share

that Little Lefty, born without one

leg, who was featured in our summer

newsletter, has found a loving home

with Reggie and David Grothe. Lefty

has become fast friends with Pump-

kin, a kitten adopted last year by the

Grothes from the Feline Network.

Reggie journals every day about their

boys’ antics.

Julie Mei has her hands full with this trio of adorable

kittens. Ben, Jerry and Maggie are identical except for Ben’s

white spotted chin, Their foster mom says the three are all very

affectionate and comfortable with people and that they even

play with her little dog. “They purr constantly and love to be by

people and not by themselves...if they get stuck in another room

alone they meow like crazy to get back to you!” Call Christine

for adoption information at 544-6138.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Read All About It...