Sanctuary: Lynea Lattanzio lives alone with 700 cats on her 12-acre spread in Parlier, California
Lynea yang merupakan seorang janda yang menyelamatkan kucing-kucing terlantar di seluruh dunia di 'Rumah Kucing' miliknya.
"Kalau aku jadi mereka (kucing-kucing yang terlantar), maka aku akan ke tempat ini," ujarnya seperti dikutip Dailymail, Senin (1/8/2011).
Lynea mengatakan, dia tidak diizinkan memelihara kucing ketika dia tumbuh dewasa sampai akhirnya dia menikah.
Dia mulai menjadi penyelamat kucing setelah perceraiannya pada tahun 1981 dan hampir 19.000 kucing telah dia rawat di 'Rumah Kucing'.
Cat house: Divorcee Lynea takes in rescue cats from around the world and has helped rehome 19,000 of the animals
Tapi dia bersikeras bahwa dia bukan wanita gila kucing. "Saya lebih suka mengatakan bahwa aku eksentrik atau masokis," katanya kepada New York Post. "Ini hal yang sama, hanya lebih bagus."
'Rumah Kucing' miliknya adalah penampungan kucing tanpa kandang terbesar di California. Misinya adalah untuk menempatkan kucing dan anak kucing ke rumah-rumah permanen, dan untuk mencegah kelebihan populasi hewan peliharaan, Lynea memandulkan dan mengebiri kucing-kucing tersebut.
Setidaknya kini ada 700 kucing yang ia rawat, ditambah 15 ekor anjing. Dia bertahan hidup berkat sumbangan dan hibah.
Kisah Lynea dengan kucing-kucingnya masuk ke dalam berita feature di National Geographic episode 'Wild' dengan judul "Seorang Nyonya dengan 700 Kucing".
"Aku yakin ada tempat lain yang juga melakukan seperti apa yang saya lakukan. Aku hanya tidak tahu dimana mereka, yang jelas jumlahnya sedikit dan berjarak jauh satu sama lain," imbuh Lynea.
Dia menambahkan, "Yang ingin saya katakan adalah -jika mereka tidak punya rumah, setidaknya mereka punya kehidupan."(rhs)
Pioneering: The Cat House on the Kings in Parlier, California is the largest no-kill cat sanctuary in the world
Feeding time: Lynea Lattanzio, owner of The Cat House on the Kings, begins feeding her hundreds of felines early each morning
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Feline heaven: The cats being fed, the sanctuary survives because of generous donations
Mission: Lynea aims to place rescued cats and kittens into permanent homes and to prevent overpopulation by spaying and neutering
'At least they have a life': Lynea cares for a kitten. She insists she is not crazy and would prefer to refer to herself as eccentric
Care-free: The feline haven is California's largest no-kill, no cage sanctuary and is also a home to 15 dogs
Loving: Ms Lattanzio and volunteer Tammy Barker examine a stray Siamese cat at the SPCA
Just a few: A 'small' group of cats gathers at The Cat House on the Kings
Litter overload: Litter boxes fill a room inside the cat sanctuary
She said often cats are flown in from New York, after owners decide their apartments are too small for their pets. Sometimes, locals drop unwanted kittens right on her doorstep.
Her sanctuary, which employees 25 workers, is an around-the-clock operation, and the largest of its kind in the world.
A nursery, an intensive care unit and even a retirement home for elderly cats are housed in its walls, where endless meows echo throughout the day.
'If I were a cat, this is where I'd be. We're a no-cage, no-kill adoption sanctuary,' she explained.
Well, hello: One of the over 700 residents of the Cat House on the Kings no-kill sanctuary, nestled in his favourite resting spot - the cupboard
Rescued: In the back of Lynea Lattanzio's van, crates of rescued animals await their new life at the Cat House on the Kings sanctuary
Big world: Just a few of the hundreds of stray kittens and cats rescued by the Cat House tea
sumber :http://international.okezone.com/read/2011/08/01/214/486788/wanita-ini-hidup-dengan-700-kucing