Party With the Pets 2020

Thursday night I got to combine my love for animals and help out one of my favorite local charities, Columbus Humane at the semi-annual ‘Party with the Pets’ event.  As in the past, the proceeds from this year’s event will go towards the food budget to help with the high cost of feeding the animals that are housed there before finding their forever homes.

Having attended the autumn 2018 event, we’ve already seen the newly renovated building (partly done so after a very expensive turn of events when their frozen pipes burst in December of 2016). It’s still every bit as impressive, and the accommodations seem cozy enough for the many furry creatures that find their way there.

This year we bought a pair of raffle tickets for a couple of the enticing gift baskets containing all manner of goodies. Sadly, we didn’t win, but it’s all for a good cause!

Andrew set the agenda for the evening when he suggested, ‘How about we eat first, then pet some kitties afterwards?’ Sounds good to me! Although there was slightly less food than last time, and perhaps slightly fewer people,

I was happy enough with the selection of sliders and pasta skewers. There was also a veggie tray, so the dinner was healthy enough to offset the desserts, which was raspberry & brie in little pie shells and one of my personal favorites, mini bundt cakes from my favorite bakery in Dublin (yes I will have a second…don’t mind if I do!)

Once our tummies were filled, it was time to seek out a little feline affection. Not surprisingly the younger cats were slightly more active and definitely happy to accept a little petting and cuddling and play time too.

I asked one of the volunteers if it was still true that black cats can be difficult to adopt out. She said she didn’t think so, and I hope this guy finds a new home soon.

We also learned about the special needs of an FIV+ cat, which is the equivalent of HIV in humans. The volunteer explained they usually live a pretty normal life span, but may need a little more medical attention as they’re certainly more susceptible to disease. It probably goes without saying, but they need to be kept indoors and can only be companions to other FIV+ cats.

Rachel Finney, the CEO of Columbus Humane thanked all the volunteers and donors and said Columbus Humane last year helped approximately two dozen different species of animals in various rescue efforts around Columbus.

Although we don’t have any plans to adopt a brother or sister for Tamsin, we plan to renew our membership and would encourage any local animal lovers who have the means to consider this great charity as well. If you're more of a fan of the whole cat cafe scene, don't forget to visit the Eat, Purr, Love Cat Cafe in Clintonville. Their muffins and hot cocoa are quite satisfying on a cold winter day, and if you play your cards right, you might even get a cat to curl up next to you.