Just ask Milk Dud, one of the newest kittens rescued recently who is recovering under the care of the Webster City Veterinary Clinic and the Cat Hut.

Milk Dud, like most young kittens was curious about winter. Little did she know that water in the winter would freeze and she became trapped outside attached to the ice.

Milk Dud was lucky. She had a rescuer who was able to get her to the Webster City Veterinarian Clinic. For many cats this would have ended badly, for Milk Dud, she was able to get the care she needed.

Milk Dud had severe frostbite, and has had one leg amputated in addition to part of one paw. Her tail was shortened, and her skin is damaged. But she is a loving, happy kitten and will be a wonderful pet one day when the vets and the Cat Hut determine she is ready for a new home.

Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Kolleen Taylor
Milk Dud is recovering in the back room of The Cat Hut after recent surgeries.

This is not what the Cat Hut set out to do, but the compassion of the veterinarians and the staff at the Cat Hut find this part of their task a mission of great mercy. They accept a few special needs cats, but the cost of caring for their injuries or health issues definitely are a drain on their budget.

“We’ve had cats born in the facility and had cats die in the facility,” said Tricia Rupiper, manager of the Cat Hut.

The best days are every day, Rupiper said. “Everything we do is a service to cats in Hamilton County. The worst is when we lose a kitty to death.”

She explained that there is no season for kittens to be born. “We think of kitten season starting in the spring, but a kitten can get pregnant at 4 months old, then after the kittens are weaned get pregnant again within two months.”

The cycle of birth is rapid, and it’s easy to suddenly have more cats than one can manage or afford.

Their staff will respond to a call to help trap cats to get them spayed or neutered, but they cannot go to a property without an invitation or an appointment. When people need to surrender a cat to the Cat Hut, they also need an appointment.

There are many reasons for surrendering a cat or kitten. Sometimes their owner has died, or they have to move to a facility that doesn’t allow cats. Others are moving, have allergies, or just can’t afford them. The caring staff at The Cat Hut makes that adjustment easier for the animals and those who cannot care for them anymore.

This non-profit organization is part of Hamilton County AdvoCATes, an organization that was started in 2017, according to Monica Becker, who serves on the board of directors for AdvoCATS.

In the beginning, Becker had worked in an animal shelter in Oskaloosa and in Des Moines and was contacted by a friend who had a problem. They had 20 or more cats, and couldn’t afford to take care of them, or get them neutered.

“I trapped them, and got them fixed, and got the litters fixed, but while working on his project, another owner contacted me, and they had even more cats,” she said.

This, she realized, was a real problem, so a few people got together and they created a way to help manage the cats and kittens that were growing in population.

“People end up with so many cats, they don’t know what to do,” said Becker. Last year their program helped spay and neuter over 500 cats.

Their goal is to end the cat overpopulation in Hamilton County.

They are doing this through the Trap-Neuter-Return–TNR, of community and barn cats, through CatSNAP –Cat Spay/Neuter Assistance Program– for qualifying low-income residents of Hamilton County and through the adoption of cats and kittens into loving homes with priority given to kittens rescued through the TNR program.

They have also developed a barn cat program, which they define as working cats. They do on occasion receive cats which are not suitable for regular adoption to an indoor setting.

“Some are meant to be working cats and live outside,” said Rupiper.

In addition to all that the volunteers and employees are doing within the facility, they also help by volunteering throughout the community and help other businesses.

But they are still a non-profit that is surviving on donations. The fees to adopt a cat or kitten help cover some of the costs, but they are always in need of food, blankets, towels, cat toys, cat beds, bedding and of course money.

Donations can be dropped off any time, to 1118 2nd Street in Webster City. In addition, they need volunteers to play with the cats and help socialize them, they need foster homes for cats and kittens, and they need people who will adopt a current resident from the Cat Hut.

Current adoptable cats are pictured on their website, under the petfinder

For more information or to donate online, their website is www.hamcocats.org, and their phone number is 515-524-6100 to learn more about how to help.