Kirkland Foundation

09/01/2026

Our version of slow day included an 11-year-old Yorkie/Chi mix needing dental work, an enucleation for an FIP survivor, a kitten pulled from not one, but two euthanasia lists with "anemia", a stray with car trauma, another with kidney failure and Wilson, a blind 13-lb orange tabby.

Wilson lost his eyes to infection/trauma earlier this summer and was recently diagnosed with stomatitis by a local vet with the recommendation that all his teeth be pulled. Given Wilson's age (3), lack of drooling, bad breath, oral discomfort and other signs of stomatitis, we thought a full extraction sounded premature.

"Bring him in..."

First thing this AM, Mom dragged the big fella into Suite 103. When it was his turn, I peered into the carrier. Wilson was packed in like you in your Jordaches back in the day.

"Seriously?"

I engaged my core, deadlifted the crate onto the transport cart and pried the big fella out for a look.

"I'm not a vet, but I don't see it. And he's not having trouble eating..."

We all laughed.

"Let's go next door..."

At our go to vets, we plopped the orange heffalump on the exam table. Moments later, Dr. Murphy confirmed our first impression.

"Minor redness in the front of the mouth, but nothing in the back where we usually see it. His breath's fine. And he's obviously eating..."

"That's what I said!"

"If you watch, he's bumping his nose to find his way around. That could be the source of the redness."

Wilson confirmed her observation by nudging the counter scale with his nose and did the same with his carrier.

"So his 'stomatitis' is a self-inflicted fat lip?"
"Looks like it."

We called Mom.

"Come get Chubs."
"Does he need to have his teeth pulled?"
"Nope."

I explained what we observed.

"OMG...so I just need to baby-proof his room?"
"Well, for now at last. But a diet wouldn't hurt..."

Wilson

08/30/2026

In the mood for Chinese?

Last Thursday, we took a message from a Samaritan who found a gray kitten struggling by Ashlan//99 freeway in Fresno with a mangled front leg. The finder/mom reported the kitten had a "floppy front leg" that "smelled awful". Our kind of girl...

On Friday, Mom's mom brought her little ragamuffin in for treatment, and despite her horrific injury, the furry waif remained polite and courteous throughout her exam. We prefer intakes keep all four extremities whenever possible, but the little one's front leg was damage beyond repair, so we sent her off for amputation ASAP. Shout out to our friends at Fresno T.N.R. for the assist!

Fast forward to now, and little Wonton is one leg short of a full set but spayed, vaxxed, safe, comfy and doted on by our crew at House Kirkland. In a month or so, she'll be available to upend the dynamic in your home, annoy the dog and prove that a cat with three legs moves better than any of your family members do with two!

We blessed to have access to low cost veterinary care, but procedures like this add up. We deeply appreciate any and all donations to this little one's care and treatment. Figure $1,000 so far with another $300 to go before adoption...

Wonton

08/28/2026

The day started like most, with me texting Mama Stephanie Yeats Cymanski that "I don't have medicals today" and her responding that three cases I'd greenlit the day before--a 6-year-old Maltipoo with cataracts, an older cat with respiratory issues, a pin removal from a broken leg--were waiting on me in the lobby. What the!

"Can you handle? I have a meeting downtown."
"Got you..."

*Fist pump*

On my way downtown, I took a call from a panicked mom, who'd "accidentally and unknowingly" treated her little one with dog flea meds (DON'T unless you know EXACTLY what you're doing) and sobbing as her little one was seizing in her lap.

"He's dying!"
"Suite 103. No delay."
"Do you think he's going to live?"
"TF if I know. Just get there!"

Fast forward two hours later, after a bath, fluids and treatment, the furry brat was up and alert.

"Come get your little one. We need the space."
"OMG...Thank you so much!"
"FYI, we don't name cats, 'Kitty'? Let's be more creative...;)"

Kitty

08/27/2026

A month ago we reunited Trolley with his family after eight months on the lam and somehow ending up 6 miles away in a Copper River CC adjacent backyard with a spa-like pool and putting green.

A month later, Mom reports that Trolley’s short game has gotten much worse, but he’s spoiled even rottener than before and is back to living his best indoor life!

Trolley

08/24/2026

Yesterday, a Visalia colony tender/mom contacted us about stray tabby teen with a "balloon-like belly" who "won't eat or play" and whose "spine is showing more".

We had a good sense of what we were looking at but pressed Mom for photos of Noodle's face and confirmation that his fur felt more greasy than soft.

"It's scrub brush like, if that makes sense."

It did.

"Bring us that little one."

Earlier today we checked little Noodle in, started him on FIP treatment and forwarded Mom a video of her "He won't eat anything!" little one...chowing down on salmon pate.

"OMG, yay!"

Noodle. We like his prospects...

08/24/2026

Two days ago, our friends at Fresno Chaffee Zoo were devastated when Fenny, beloved male giraffe and FCZ guest favorite, passed away during what the vet team hoped would be a straightforward fix of a fractured hoof. Every day at KF, we remind pet parents and finders there's no such thing as "routine surgery", and that's certainly true when the patient stands 20' tall and weighs 1 1/2 tons.

Outsiders sometimes fail to realize that zoo keepers and vet staff build the same emotional attachment to our birds, reptiles, sea lions, rhinos, giraffes and other exotics that you and I have with the furry brats warming our lap or bed. A loss like this is further complicated by the public's love of the gentle giant who routinely cut ahead of his herd mates to snag a lettuce leaf from a guest. You might not realize it, but if you fed our FCZ giraffes, you knew Fenny.

Please know that the highly trained and dedicated FCZ staff was committed in their efforts to treat Fenny and is as heartbroken as you would be with the unexpected loss of one of your family's furry favorites.

Fenny, RIP

It is with heavy hearts that we share the unfortunate passing of Fenny, our male Masai giraffe. Since May, Fenny had been receiving treatment for a fracture in one of his hooves. The Zoo’s Animal Care and Veterinary teams have worked diligently to treat the injury, including applying a “shoe” to his hoof. During a necessary procedure to evaluate the recovery progress, complications arose under anesthesia and, despite the team’s truly valiant efforts, Fenny passed this morning.

Fenny has been a beloved member of Fresno Chaffee Zoo’s giraffe herd since his arrival at the Zoo in 2019 and served as an educational ambassador for his species.

This is a heartbreaking loss to our Zoo family. Fenny was a key member of our giraffe herd and has had a meaningful impact on the hearts of both staff and guests alike.

08/20/2026

Things we hope are true #17…

Every night, just before the players hit the ice, Boomer takes his seat in the penalty box—and he refuses to miss a single minute of the game.

At a community ice rink in Minnesota, there's one spectator who has become almost as famous as the players themselves.

His name is Boomer.

He's a resident cat who has somehow decided that the penalty box is his personal VIP section.

Before warmups even begin, Boomer sneaks inside, hops onto the bench, tucks his paws neatly underneath himself, and settles in.

Then he watches.

One period.

Two periods.

Three periods.

No wandering around.

No chasing the players.

No getting distracted.

Just Boomer, sitting quietly behind the glass like the most serious hockey fan in the building.

The rink manager says there's a simple explanation for his strange choice of seats.

The penalty box is the only place in the entire rink where a heater runs underneath the bench.

So yes, Boomer may simply be there for the warmth.

But that doesn't explain what happens next.

The moment the final horn sounds, Boomer gets up and walks out.

Every single time.

It's almost as if he knows the game is over.

Over time, the players have gotten used to their unusual little fan.

Some have started tapping on the glass as they skate past, hoping to get his attention.

Boomer doesn't care.

He doesn't wave.

He doesn't move.

He doesn't even look at them.

He's got a game to watch.

And honestly, there's something wonderfully comforting about that.

In a world where everything seems to change, Boomer has his routine.

Find the warm bench.

Watch the hockey.

Ignore the players.

Leave when the final horn sounds.

Sometimes, the sweetest little stories are the ones that don't need anything complicated.

Just a warm spot, a quiet cat, and a place that feels like home. ❤️🐱

If Boomer made you smile, subscribe in the comments below so together we can help feed and rescue cats who are still waiting for a warm place to call home. Every little bit of kindness can make a difference. ❤️

08/20/2026

Every day, we get messages from moms, finders and colony tenders that need help with little ones. Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to cover the medical care of all the needy animals we see, but in many cases our added value is using our experience to arrange for more cost-effective care than available elsewhere.

Take Gilda, a little calico that showed up in a Mariposa mom's colony with a gruesome, protruding eye. Mom had been to vets in her area, given estimates beyond her budget and was desperate for options for her lovable little one. Mom was willing to make the hour and a half drive and cover the cost of Gilda's care, so we told her to bring her down and we'd see what we could do.

Yesterday, our go to vets worked Gilda in for her enucleation, spay and vaccines for less than half of what she was quoted up north. Our vets stay busy, their externs and techs get experience they wouldn't see elsewhere, Mom's happy, we scored logo placement for the side hustle and Gilda was purring throughout. We'll take it.

08/19/2026

Ah, the hair tie. For 80% of our followers, a simple way to salvage a bad hair day. For those, like me, on a minoxidil/Propecia regimen, a curiosity. But for your cat? Chewy entertainment with potentially fatal consequences.

On Sunday, a Modesto pet parent messaged us that her bestie had “swallowed a rubber band” and needed help. Mom reported that her favorite was vomiting “horrible smelling liquid” and didn’t want to eat. Mom couldn’t front 000s of $ for surgery. Could we help?

Hoping for a hero save with $20 of laxatives, we greenlit the intake.

“Bring him down.”

Yesterday, we checked Grayson in, reported what we knew to our fave vets and went about our side hustle. Within an hour, Mama Steph forwarded an X-ray with “a long squiggly thing” highlighted, and after sending the image to Mom, she speculated that her furry brat had swallowed a drawstring from her son’s closet. We traded texts about potential risks and agreed that Grayson’s best option was surgery.

“He’s not pooping that out.”

In surgery, our vets and their externs discovered that Grayson hadn’t ingested a drawstring but in fact had consumed what appeared to be a dozen or so black hair ties all of which needed to be removed before they created a fatal blockage. I wasn’t there for the extraction, but Mama Steph described it as “OMG so gross!” with a compelling pantomime of retching. Ok, got it.

Once we confirmed Grayson was up from anesthesia, we checked in with Mom and forwarded a photo of the partially digested ponytail holders. We told Mom we were optimistic for his recovery but wanted to confirm the Holy Trinity—eating, peeing and pooping—before we could send him home. As of late this afternoon, Grayson had eaten and peed. Think positive thoughts!

PSA: Your 32-count Amazon Basics hair ties for $3.77 delivered are a great deal right up until they cause $2,000 of delicate intestinal surgery. Pick the damn things up.

Grayson

08/19/2026

If your cat has FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), you have options.

Felix came to us in Mar 2025 in horrible shape, refusing to eat and looking for a hiding place to pass in peace. Against the will of two different vets insisting Felix needed to be "put down", Mom called us in desperation. Felix was her family's "favorite".

"Bring him to us. No delay."

In Aug 2025, after a heroic treatment effort by Mama Su Kim and our KF crew, we sent Felix home clear-eyed, chubbier and ready to resume his role as the family go to body pillow.

Today, Mom sent us an update photo.

Felix, at intake, at release and one year later.