Cat Planet

Unwanted cat lives posh life at 'Club White' in Hampshire

It takes a special kind of person to adopt an unwanted animal, even more so to take on more than one such creature. One local couple, Don and Cindy White of Hampshire, have elevated this special breed of compassion to an art form.

After rescuing nine stray cats, two guinea pigs, two parakeets, and a dog, plus owning their own pets, the couple and their two sons, Alex and Kyle, believe they have a mystical sign above their door that reads "strays welcome."

More often than not, the animals who find their way to the Whites' door are in poor health and in need of medical attention. One such cat was rescued by the couple while giving birth to kittens. Cindy recalls that two of the kittens were "stuck" and the cat had to be taken to the vet. She said eventually four kittens were born and subsequently died. The mother cat, a severely inbred tabby who Cindy named Sunny, was in such poor health the vet believed she would not live. Despite the odds, White took the tabby home and cared for it. Even without an undercoat, almost no hair on its face, and only three teeth, the cat has thrived in White's care. Because of its hairless countenance, deeply furrowed forehead and long, pointed ears, Sunny has gained a new moniker: Yoda, so named for her resemblance to the swamp-dwelling Jedi in the movie Star Wars.

Once an animal makes it to what neighbors and friends affectionately refer to as "Club White" for dogs and cats -- a play on the Club Med luxury resort spas -- they are taken to the vet for spaying or neutering, given inoculations and pampered back to robust health.

Yoda, the cat, shares a roomy bedroom in the White home with another once-scrawny stray-turned-healthy, sleek black cat, but prefers the heat vent above the refrigerator or the warm spot on the clothes dryer.

Another tabby who was diagnosed with a feline form of AIDS was rescued and made comfortable in an 8-by-8 foot cat house with a heated bed and water bowl, climbing apparatus and toys because his condition prevents him from sharing the house with other cats. Plastic siding protects him from harsh winds and a gabled roof protects him from the rain.

"He's fat and happy now. In the winter Don lets him stay in his workroom when the snow is too much," Cindy said as she cuddled the huge, fluffy cat in her arms.

White said she has many more stories to tell of abandoned parakeets on the front porch and homeless hamster interventions.

"Each time a stray comes in, Don says it will be the last ... until the next one comes," Cindy said with a smile that shows how much she loves animals.

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