Cat Wranglers gearing up for purr-fect fundraiser

KELLOGG – It's that time of the year again, spring has sprung, and the Silver Valley’s feral feline population is heading toward a stray cat-astrophe.  

Fortunately, this also just so happens to be the time each year when the Silver Valley Cat Wranglers hold their silent auction fundraiser, and for one night only, the Dirty Dog Saloon becomes the Dirty Kitty Saloon.  

The Cat Wranglers are a nonprofit group who have been working on the frontlines of Shoshone County’s battle against the feral cat population.  

According to Wrangler President Rene Gilbert, last year the group spent over $20,000 spaying and neutering cats they took in – Roughly $2,500 more than the group had available to them. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for what the group does.  

“We handle trapping stray or feral cats, getting them transported over the hill for medical treatments,” Gilbert said. “We collect food and other supplies and distribute it throughout the community. It’s really a big group effort, and we only have so many people.” 

Last year, the group had achieved something they never thought they could. They had adopted all the kittens they had taken in; they had cleared out several hording situations, and were seeing the success of their spay and neuter programs paying off.  

“Then came May, and suddenly we went from zero to 50 in what felt like a heartbeat,” Gilbert said. “Two litters and five adults up Moon Gulch, a mom and six kittens in Mullan, kittens left on Pinecreek Road, another two litters in Smelterville. In Pinehurst, it was the same story. A volunteer trapping cats in Coeur d’Alene came in with 6 kittens and no mom. Companion Animals had no room. No one would take them.”  

This massive influx of cats required the group to spend a large portion of its annual budget and left them in a tough spot for the rest of the year. They were able to ride out the rest of the year on their remaining funds, but as costs continue to increase, so too does the need. 

The Cat Wranglers try to utilize the services of the local Silver Valley veterinary clinics when they can but are also understanding of how busy the two local clinics are with their regular clientele. 

“We are so thankful for our local veterinarians,” Gilbert said. “We receive so many calls of ‘my cat’s sick’ or ‘my cat’s pregnant’ and they are always so willing to help however they can.”    

Just last year, the group was responsible for fixing over 100 cats from the Silver Valley area, this also included getting them vaccinated, microchipped, and then adopted.  

This year, Gilbert anticipates that another $20,000 will be needed to keep the cat population in check, and that’s where having a successful fundraiser comes into play. Each year, the group has been able to raise roughly $5,000 from the annual silent auction, with last year being one of the biggest ever, with over $6,000 raised. 

The Dirty Dog Saloon always donates the proceeds from the night’s drink sales, which Gilbert and fellow Wrangler Juli Zook hope will get people to loosen the purse strings during the silent auction.  

“The local businesses and community members have been so wonderful in supporting us over the years,” Zook said. “We are also thankful to have the support of the local newspaper, which has opened lines of communication from outside of the Valley. We have people who reach out from all over the place, asking what they can do or how they can donate.”  

Donations for the auction are still being accepted. For more information, you can contact the Silver Valley Cat Wranglers at (208) 446-7131, Juli Zook at (208) 659-1764, or Rene Gilbert (208) 512-2173.   

The Silver Valley Cat Wranglers' annual silent auction fundraiser is Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at the Dirty Dog Saloon in Kellogg.