The Cat House that FOTAS Built

The Cat House that FOTAS Built

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Board of Directors

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" on 12-15-12

Ernie Wolf has been a FOTAS volunteer at the Aiken County Animal Shelter since its creation in 2008.  Ernie is a man who loves cats, so he was particularly troubled by the conditions at the shelter for its feline occupants. 

The adoptable cats and kittens were crowded into metal cages stacked against a back wall in an area the size of a closet in the shelter. There was no fresh air, no place to play, no opportunity to go outside.  The noise level and barking inside the shelter compounded the stressful conditions.  Moreover, there was no place for potential adopters to take a cat or kitten out of the cage for a proper introduction.

So when Sandy Larsen, the senior vet tech at the shelter, asked FOTAS to help find a better solution for housing the adoptable felines, Ernie jumped at the opportunity to help FOTAS with the project.

“We can definitely do better,” he said. 

FOTAS set about raising money to pay the cost of the new facility.  Ernie, a retired mechanical and architectural engineer, developed the basic design criteria.

In the new feline shelter the cats would be free to roam in two separate cat colonies.  It would be air conditioned, well ventilated, properly insulated and quiet.  There would be a protected outdoor space for the feline residents to play, climb, stretch out and cat nap in the sun.

Ernie worked with a local contractor to customize a 30’ x 12’ Lark Metal Building at the factory with doors in accordance with FOTAS and the County’s design criteria.  When the manufacturer delivered the specially-designed building to the site, Ernie and other FOTAS volunteers worked with the contractors to hook up the systems, outfit the inside and enclose the outside with appropriate fencing.

The C.A.T.S. (Cats at the Shelter) House opened for business 2010.  The speed and efficiency in which the project moved from concept to completion is a testament to FOTAS’ coordination, planning and fundraising, Ernie’s vision and expertise, and the County’s foresight and willingness to better the living conditions of its feline occupants.

When the new community shelter opens in January, Ernie will oversee the move and installation of the C.A.T.S. House to the new shelter on May Royal Drive on behalf of FOTAS.  There will be a few additional improvements: new metal framing for the outside runs, an overall metal awning for shade, a state of the art ventilation system and well-designed landscaping.

It will be a healthy and peaceful place for the County’s homeless, adoptable cats to wait for their chance to find a loving home.

It is a sad fact that the shelter takes in far more cats than it has space to hold, so If you have been considering adopting a cat, now’s the time.  Through January 4, adoption prices for cats have been reduced to $20. Adoption prices for dogs are only $35.

Want more information about FOTAS volunteer opportunities?  Contact us at www.FOTASAiken.org or call us at 803-514-4313

Ernie Wolf and his cat Murphy:

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 411 Wire Road.  For more information, contact “info@fotasaiken.org” or visit FOTAS on line at www.fotasaiken.org.

Aiken County Animal Shelter:  “By the Numbers”

Dec. 2 - Dec. 7, 2013

 

13 dogs and 0 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

681 terrific pets adopted

 

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” Christmas special prices thru Jan. 4, 2014

**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.

KENORA   Shepherd/Lab mix -- female -- 9 mos old, 31.7 lbs  Only $35 

ZACHARY   Domestic short hair -- male -- 3 yrs old, 9.6 lbs  Only $20