By Sienna Newton–
Yoga took on a feline twist last weekend as local residents gathered for classes featuring interactions with foster kittens as part of a fundraiser supporting animal rescue efforts.
The Friends of Felines Rescue collaborated with the Pawsibility Project to host a “yoga with kittens” fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 15, at 5948 Auburn Blvd., in Citrus Heights. Two yoga sessions took place from 9 to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.. Tickets were sold for $45, and each session was one hour long, including a time for yoga and dedicated time to play with foster kittens.
Funds raised during the event helped support the Friends of Felines Rescue, giving 100 percent of the proceeds to it. The Friends of Felines Rescue is a nonprofit animal rescue organization in Rio Linda, California. They are a volunteer group that rescues and fosters homeless cats and prepares them to find a home.
They also support Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) by trapping feral cats, neutering or spaying, and vaccinating before returning them to their homes or other living spaces like barns.
During the event, attendees were greeted by welcoming hostesses, and had the opportunity to purchase other goodies and participate in a raffle. All funds raised supported the rescues. Raffle prizes included themed baskets with goodies and merch from local businesses.
Each yoga with kittens session lasted one hour, with a 30-minute session of yoga, followed by a time to play with and engage with foster kittens. There were several kittens and while most were playful, a couple were shy and afraid to come out.
In the process, attendees were also able to adopt the cats they interacted with if they chose to. One of the kittens, a little black male, was adopted by an attendee.
As a fully volunteer-run organization, the Friends of Felines Rescue has no government funding and operates fully from fundraisers, donations, volunteers, and neighbors willing to help the cause.
“By attending the event, local members of the community were able to help raise money to support a greater future for the cats and kittens in desperate need,” Friends of Feline said.
Animal rescuer Danielle Steers created the Pawsibility Project as part of a leadership training program. Her goal was to fundraise for TNR programs and foster kittens as well. In that process, she connected with Melissa Hayden, from Citrus Heights Rescues Animals, who partners with FieldHaven Feline Rescue.
Hayden has been an independent rescuer for 15 years and she funds solutions to help rescuers and assist with local resources and TNR options.
“My goal is to bring the city, animal services, rescuers, and community together to help the animals in a greater way because I believe teamwork is dream work. Together, we can save more lives,” Hayden expressed.
The founder of Friends of Felines Rescue, Shannon Gasper, has also been rescuing animals for over 15 years. Her nonprofit status became official in 2023, and the rescue board consists of six members, all volunteers.
The nonprofit partners with three Petco and two Petsmart stores. They take in around 1,000 cats a year, and spay, neuter, and vaccinate over 1,400 a year, Gasper noted.
Gasper said Friends for Felines spends between $3,500 and $5,000 per month on spay and neutering, and the nonprofit relies on grants and donations from the community to cover those costs.
The nonprofit is always looking for specific pet supplies donations, financial donations, and volunteers as well as individuals or families willing to foster.
Those interested in supporting fostering kittens and TNR programs can find out more information or donate to Friends of Felines Rescue on their website.
*Sienna Newton is currently a college student majoring in Public Relations and is a summer intern with The Citrus Heights Sentinel
