Meet adoptable cats and learn about fostering at Kitten Shower

MADISON HEIGHTS — Those interested in giving a cat a home — or temporarily fostering one while it awaits adoption — are invited to the second annual Kitten Shower.

This year’s event will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6 inside the Bingo Institute of Grooming, a pet care school located at 28003 John R Road in Madison Heights. There is a $10 early registration fee by visiting bit.ly/ahsem-shower, or $15 at the door.

In addition to plenty of adoptable cats and kittens, there will be information on how to foster, along with games, raffles and snacks.

The event is organized by Animal House of South East Michigan, or AHSEM — a no-kill rescue that operates out of the homes of volunteers willing to foster, as well as out of space provided by PetSmart at its Royal Oak location.

Proceeds from adoption fees and fundraisers such as the Kitten Shower help AHSEM pay for the animals’ medical expenses, including vaccinations, spaying and neutering, microchipping and emergency surgeries.

“None of the money we get goes toward paid staff. Everyone volunteers,” said Julie Tirony, who cofounded AHSEM along with Lisa Yaeck. “Most of the food we use is donated. PetSmart does a food drive for us. Our fosters are great, too. Many of them buy their own food for their fosters. So I’d say 99.9% of the money going out of our account goes towards vet care, one way or another.”

AHSEM has been a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2012, so all financial donations to the group are tax deductible. More information on donating is available at https://sites.google.com/view/animal-house-of-se-michigan/home.

The website also has links to its wish lists on Amazon and Chewy, if one would like to order specific items. With kitten season now underway, essential supplies are needed.

Of course, volunteers are also crucial — both as foster homes for a wide variety of pets with a wide variety of needs, and as helping hands for cleaning cages and socializing cats at the PetSmart in Royal Oak.

Danielle Zarzycki, a volunteer with AHSEM, said that the Kitten Shower will have plenty of options for those looking to add a furry friend to their family.

“At AHSEM, we’re proud to offer a diverse selection of adoptable cats, spanning various ages — from playful kittens to wise seniors — and encompassing a wide array of colors, coat lengths and personalities,” Zarzycki said in an email. “This diversity ensures that potential adopters can find a feline companion that aligns with their preferences and lifestyle.”

Whether fostering or adopting, finding the right match is key, Tirony said.

“We have a need for different kinds of households. Every now and then, we will have an extremely shy cat who’d benefit from someone who’s retired and home all day, and who is patient. And then there are kittens who benefit from being around dogs when they’re little, because then they grow up not being afraid,” Tirony said. “Just because you have pets doesn’t mean you can’t foster, although we will make sure they’re compatible first. Sometimes we’ll have people bring in their dog to the PetSmart store to see how they react around cats out in the open.

“For a lot of us in foster care, it’s about taking that animal that is broken either physically or emotionally and watching them heal,” she added. “It’s bittersweet when the cat finally leaves, but the feeling you get when you finally find them a permanent home and you know they will be treated well and there won’t be a ton of change in their life, it’s a great feeling, and a huge part of why a lot of people foster.”

Tirony and Yaeck originally met as volunteers at the Royal Oak Animal Shelter.

“Lisa was hired as the manager and I was hired as one of the pooper scoopers,” Tirony said with a laugh. “And here’s the irony: I did all sorts of accounting stuff for them as a CPA, and I didn’t get paid for any of that, but I did get paid for scooping poop!”

The two bonded over a shared desire to rescue every animal possible, but ended up leaving the shelter over disagreements with a city commissioner who they felt was micromanaging them.

“We talked about starting our own rescue, and what we’d do that would be different, and of course we wouldn’t have a building of our own, but at the same time we wouldn’t have to ask the city for permission on everything, which would be nice,” Tirony said.

AHSEM formed in 2012. Since then, it’s been a mix of good weeks and hard ones, Tirony said, noting this is typical of the rescue industry, where many groups operate with tight margins due to limited revenues and the high cost of medical care for animals.

“But hopefully at the end of the day, the good outweighs the bad,” she said.

In addition to adoption services and foster care, AHSEM also helps coordinate TNR programs — Trap, Neuter, Release — where volunteers assist feral cats by ensuring they receive veterinary care, including spaying and neutering, as well as shelter and food outdoors when they’re too wild to bring indoors.

AHSEM also has community outreach initiatives that educate the public on responsible and humane animal care, including low-cost veterinary care, food assistance and other resources.

At present, there are about 118 cats and kittens — plus one dog — in AHSEM’s care. Of the 118 cats, there will be 91 available for adoption at the Kitten Shower.

“The first (Kitten Shower) went very, very well. The first time you do something, you’re not sure if people will be interested or come, but a lot of people showed up, and a lot of people donated and sent kitten food and other things for the kittens,” Tirony said. “It was just a huge success. And we had a lot of fun, too — that’s just a bonus!”

For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/view/animal-house-of-se-michigan/home.