Wendi Wuersh and her family have five cats in their Washougal home.
She adopted sisters Chloe and Tiger Lily, from a PetSmart in Arizona, and Sushi, from a shelter in California.
Wuersh’s parents’ cats are Norman and Bridgette.
Wuersh has been a volunteer with Furry Friends, a no-kill cat rescue non-profit organization, for one-and-a-half years. That involves helping with cat adoptions at the Hazel Dell PetSmart, 316 N.E. 78th St., Vancouver.
Wuersh also helps clean up the cat area in the store and spends personal time, or “love time,” as she calls it, with the felines.
“Some of them need the individual attention,” she said.
Wuersh found out about Furry Friends through online research. Her personal dream is to one day have a large enough property to rescue feral cats.
Wuersh said the challenges of volunteering include determining the personalities of each individual cat.
“For the most part, you just want to take them all home,” she said.
Wuersh’s affection for cats is obvious as she shares cell phone photos of the felines that are currently available for adoption.
“If you love cats, it’s an awesome way to spend time with some fun kitties,” she said. “They have lots of energy. They just want love.”
Efforts to find a new group home for the cats
Furry Friends was founded in 1999. Its mission is to help homeless, abandoned and abused cats by providing spaying and neutering, medical care and shelter.
The adoptable cats are currently living in a rented three-bedroom house, in Vancouver.
An event Saturday will raise money for a permanent “halfway house” for the felines.
The social hour will begin at 5 p.m., at the Vancouver Eagles Lodge, 107 E. Seventh St., Vancouver. Additional spaces for vehicles will be available in the Columbia Credit Union parking structure on the corner of Seventh and Broadway.
Dinner options at 6 p.m. will include Parmesan chicken or a vegetarian dish, plus a salad and dessert.
There will be a $10 cover charge, and dinner is optional for an additional $10 per person. Mickey & Diane Stevens will perform country and oldies rock hits from 7 to 10 p.m.
In addition to dancing, there will be raffle prizes. Tickets will be available at the door. To RSVP for the fundraiser, call 693-8119.
For information about Furry Friends, call 993-1097, email information@furryfriendswa.org or visit www.furryfriendswa.org.
