Purr-ty weather for first Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue 5K and Whisker Walk

More than 150 people took part in the first Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue 5K Meow-A-Thon at Veterans Park in Hoover this morning.

The event was a fundraiser for an 18-month-old cat rescue facility off Alford Avenue. Co-founder Rita Bowman said with this being the first year for the event, she expected only 30 or 40 people to participate. So she was thrilled to see 156 people register, she said. “We’ll do it again, believe me.”

After expenses are paid, she hopes to net about $10,000 off today’s race, which included a 5K and 1-mile Whisker Walk. 

Runners paid $25 to participate and got a T-shirt and goodie bag that included cat treats. Volunteer Caroline West of Vestavia Hills dressed in a cat outfit, and several runners and other volunteers dressed in cat-oriented gear as well.

A West Blocton-based band called The Dukes of Hazardous Materials provided entertainment, and Chick-fil-A and Steel City Pops were selling treats on site.

A 20-year-old University of Alabama at Birmingham student who preferred not to give his name won the 5K with a time of 19 minutes, 55 seconds.

The Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue is in a house at 2113 Marlboro St., next to the Alford Avenue Veterinary Hospital. It serves as a temporary home for about 45 cats until they can be adopted, Bowman said. The cats do not stay in cages; they are allowed to roam freely throughout the house until they are adopted, she said.

“We have adopted over 650 cats and kittens since we started in October 2016,” Bowman said. The rescue group has a no-kill policy, but the facility maintains a stable number of cats by limiting the number of cats it will accept, she said.

Bowman said her organization is trying to raise $200,000 to build an even better facility.

To find out more about the Kitty Kat Haven and Rescue, go to kittykathavenrescue.org or call 302-8883.