Sat 10/1 @ 3-6PM
It was 13 years ago when Debbie & Pete Gulyas opened their vintage record store Blue Arrow in the Waterloo ArtsDistrict and discovered the large number of stray & feral cats living around there. They wanted to see the cats taken care of and that was the genesis of the Waterloo Alley Cat Project. They’ve even turned a former parking lot behind the store into a gated cat community, with shelters, a feeding station, a small cottage to isolate certain cats, and in the summer, catnip growing everywhere. Recently, they turned a garage on the property formerly used for storage into a shelter for the cats, complete with heated beds.
They’ve attracted a team of cat-loving volunteers who tend to the cats, feeding them and to the vet when needed. Since then, they’ve had hundreds of cats spayed and neutered to the point where they seldom see kittens born anymore and the population slowly decreases as cats age. She says they see a handful of dumped or abandoned “left behind” cats each year, but they have been successful in finding home for most of these.
Debbie estimates that it costs $2,000 a month to feed the approximately 50 cats they care for throughout the neighborhood, with vet bills adding to their costs, especially when one of those dumped cats has medical issues, such as a recent arrival who is being treated for an eye issue.
They usually host a big benefit each year, although the pandemic put a stop to that. But the need for resources never stops. So they’re hosting a party for cat lovers, taking place at one of Collinwood’s loveliest hidden event spaces, Cavotta’s Garden Center, which has a large covered pavilion and liquor license, along with goats, chickens and plants. Admission is free to come in and hang out; the bar will be open to purchase drinks. There’ll be some spectacular gift basket raffles, a 50/50 raffle, music and lots of cat lovers to share your photos with, because we know 90% of the photos on your phone are of your cats, right?