Royal Purple

Issue date: 7/4/07 Section: Arts & Lifestyle

Media Credit: Nicole Trotta Jazz and Jester are two of the many cats available at Touched by a Paw

Everyone knows that dogs are man's best friend. But where does that leave cats? Well, sometimes out in the cold - literally.

Countless cats can be found alone and abandoned, roaming the streets, and a local businesswoman has been trying for years to find them good homes.

Once school lets out and summer begins, it's anything but a time to enjoy the sun and relax for some cats. During this time, cats are often left outside in cardboard boxes at the back door of Touched by a Paw, a no-kill cat shelter in Whitewater run by Janna Burhop.

Burhop always expects a significant number of cats to come into the shelter in the summer, as UW-Whitewater students sometimes abandon their cats when the school year is over.

"The landlords will find them in the apartments," Burhop said. "[Students] just leave out food, water and the litterbox and go. Then the landlords come in and rescue them and have to take them to shelters. That happens every year. I don't know how they can do that."

Burhop and a team of volunteers rescue cats abandoned by their owners and cats about to be euthanized because of medical conditions. The team prepares the cats for adoption in a small back room of Reflections of the Past, a vintage clothing boutique owned by Burhop.

Because Touched by a Paw receives no government funding, Burhop's mission to help cats find loving homes has always been a struggle. Last year, Burhop wrote a Christmas letter urging people to donate to the shelter.

"We desperately need your help," Burhop wrote. "2006 has been a rough year for TBAP … We are faithfully praying with your help [and] through the grace of God that we can keep the shelter going."

Although many people responded to Burhop's request for financial assistance, the shelter needs people who are willing to donate on a regular basis, Burhop said.

"We're in the middle of 'kitten season' now," Burhop said. "We probably have in foster care right now at least 40 kittens. Every shelter is bursting at the seams."

Touched by a Paw is having a rummage sale July 14 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. to raise money. People can drop off any household or cat-related items, except clothing and mattresses, at Richmond Town Hall in Richmond, Wis., from 1-8 p.m. the day before the sale.

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