Our cat garden offers something for everyone. Onyx muches on catnip while Archie catnaps in the shade. Others (below left) nibble on organic grass -- we offer both oat and wheat.

Custom Cat Garden

Ann Arbor gardener Monica Milla volunteered to design and develop a special garden for our retirement cats. It's loaded with edible plants like catnip and organic grasses. It even has a peat moss kitty litter bed surrounded with fragrant thyme. With more and more studies showing that limited outdoor access is good for cats, we wanted a garden that would meet their unique needs. The fencing, topped off with cat netting, keeps the cats safe in the yard. Two cat doors give them 24-hour access and an attached deck provides a great sun spot -- what more could our cats ask for?

Our Special Thanks
DONORS: Michael Allemang, Apotheke, Linda Atkins & Thomas Kenney, Gary & Leilani Babcock, Sue Blake, Patricia Broecker, Paul Buisch, Joseph Burman, Denise Cain, Jane & Robert Cooch, Ruth Curtis, Helen Denoyer, Barton Dixon, Andrzej & Cynthia Dlugosz, Alice Dobson, Barbara & Robert Donohue, Constance Doyle, Judy Dupuis, Liz Dykhouse, Michele Everard, Betty & Charles Finkbeiner, Bruce & Jane Folske, Felix & Virginia Fournier, Emily Franklin, Laura Gemellaro, Elnian Gilbert, Meredith & James Giltner, Barbara Gleason, Sherry Hanson & Lee Rome, Yoshiko Hamano, Happy Hearts Pet Care, Heidi Herrell, John Hritz, Victoria & Lawrence Jones, Valerie Kabat, Bethany & William Klinke, Joan Knoertzer, Gayle Koan, Ed & Jo Kowalski, Carol McKendry, Rebecca & John Mikkola, Cecil & Sue Miskel, Jo Ann & Frank Neher, Pat & Lloyd Randall, Karen Roberts, Dean Rockwell, Peggy Rogers, Rita Rozell, Rachel Seid-Arabi, Bruce & Susan Sharer, Virginia Shew, Don Todd, Gail & Stewart Tubbs, Gordon & Janet VandenHout, Klaas & Helena Volger, Judy VonBoncel, Patrick & Susan Waters, Lyndon & Angela Welch, West Hawk Industries, Dodie Wyman, Janet Young.
IN MEMORY OF: Mary T. Ulloa by Herman Ulloa.
IN MEMORY OF PETS: She Lynch by Kay Lynch, Vicky by Jean Finkbeiner, Libby by Valerie Wenger.
SUPPLIES: Animal Med Center, Bemis Farms Day Care, Mary Beth Budd, Denise Cain, Country Cat Clinic, Barb Faust, Al & Karen Gallup, Gina Hastings, Cynthia Lempert, Dorie Mickleson, Margaret & Lee Ramsay, Kris Talley, Saline Veterinary Service, Candis Stern, Julie Ward, Barb & Larry Wolfe, Chris Wren.
VOLUNTEERS: Barb Almli, Cheryl Blackwell, Julia Bommarito, Mary Beth Budd, Mary Cady, Denise Cain, Jenny Carano, Sylvia Copeland, Helen Denoyer, Holly Diener, Barb Faust, Anne Fischer, Al & Karen Gallup, Ann Gambino, Debbie Garrett, Terri Geitgey, Colleen Genga, Sara Goldstein, Courtney Gramlich, Deb Granneman, Rachel Granneman, Gina Hastings, Jeannine Hayden, Sivana Heller, Joan Hutchinson, Melissa Hurteau, Liz Johnson, Emma Kennedy, Vicki Landau, Cynthia Lempert, Mara Lirette, Betsy & Jack Mall, Emily Martin, Gwen McCoy, Dorie Mickleson, Monica Milla, Angela Morris, Jeanette Mumford, Pat Naffin, Anne Perry, Alicia Pratt, Sue Ransom, Maya Rhodes, Maury Robbins, Maggie Sadoff, Terri Sarris, Bill & Nancy Schultz, Julie Scovel, Angela Siggia, Liz Smith, Candis Stern, Jan Wahl, Julie K Ward, Barb & Larry Wolfe, Christine Wren.
STAFF: Ashley Allemang, Kris Dudley, Deb Granneman, Cynthia Jones.
Want to volunteer?  Call or e-mail for details

Dear Friends,
It's fun to fantasize about what a truly "no kill" community would be like. Here are some thoughts: Shelters would be as obsolete as orphanages since foster homes could easily handle cats in flux -- and are much more to a cat's liking than a 3x3 cage. The foster guardians will know their cats so well that they can be pro-active at placing them in compatible homes. The Internet adoption sites and mega-adoption events will give homeless cats the visibility they need to be placed easily wherever they live. Lost pets will be returned to their guardians direct from animal control -- no need to stay in a holding cell any more -- microchips will be implanted in all pets to guarantee a quick return -- and someday they'll even include GPS chips so the guardians can find them on their own. Kittens, like puppies today, will largely come from professional breeders -- and hopefully a few will preserve the alley cat look. The remaining feral cats will be fed daily in managed outdoor colonies -- all sterilized to stop random reproduction. Best yet, euthanasia will be reserved for only those cats that are in failing health, suffering, and with no prospect of getting better. Help the dream along -- sterilize a cat!
Kitty Zimmer