Cat House offers felines a second chance

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PARLIER, Calif., Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Abandoned and feral cats can find a second chance at a normal life at The Cat House in Parlier, Calif., the site's founder says.

Cat House founder Lynea Lattanzio said when she first founded the 12-acre site 17 years ago she never imagined it would become the current home to an estimated 700 cats and even a few dogs, the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News said Tuesday.

"There was no place else for all of these cats, and I had all of this land," she said. "We give them a life if they have no home."

Lattanzio said her site has been responsible for the rescue and ensuing adoption of 17,000 cats to date.

Cat House volunteer Leni Mortensen, 64, told the Mercury News a visit to the site is a unique experience.

"Everybody I take out there, I tell them to be prepared to be overwhelmed," Mortensen said. "You just have to experience it."