Category Archives: Events

20th Annual Lights of Love: It’s Time to Light the Lights!

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Are you ready for this year’s epic Lights of Love event, presented by HEAL Veterinary Clinic and VCA? You’re not? That’s ok, because it’s not until December 7th, so you have a few weeks to prepare yourself. And for what, might you wonder, must you prepare?

A letter from the cats to you.

There’s your first hint: Free food! Ok, so it costs $5 to get in the door, but after that, you’ll be generously treated to a vegetarian taco bar from Hub 51, veggie bao from Wow Bao, and donuts galore from Stan’s Donuts, plus a few other tasty goodies!

Is eating not your thing? Then spend your time checking out our TNR demos, fabulously put together by our illustrious Community Cats team, or take a few minutes to get a tour of our clinic to see where our cats get their teeth cleaned, their nails clipped, and their bits (you know the bits we mean) removed.

Not into clinical things? That’s ok! You can buy yourself a delicious holiday drink in our Cat Cafe with the add on marshmallow candy bar and spend a few minutes chilling with our cafe residents. Or, listen to live music provided by ETC. Music School and the Tree House choir.

Would you rather play a game? Then get yourself a ticket to Trap a Cat, the game where you seek to trap cats to win retro Tree House prize packages! Or, draw Hats on Cats for a chance to win a little treat.

Hats on Cats: a game to tell your grandchildren about.

Looking to adopt but aren’t quite ready? Virtual adoptions will be available for $25 – a stuffed kitten, a certificate, and a chance to win a gift card of equal value.

Of course, our store will be open with some excellent holiday sales and stocked with Tree House merchandise, the perfect way to tell someone you love them and that you want to see them wearing our logo. You can also shop for our cats and our community – purchase a tag from our tree to make our cats’ holiday dreams come true, or to help feed the cats of our community through our Pet Food Pantry.

And let’s not forget having your photo taken with Saffy Claws in her throne. She’ll be waiting.

Our cats are cleaning, tidying, and decorating for your arrival and they cannot wait to see you! So get your tickets ASAP to make sure we save you a space!

See you soon!

Love,

Tree House.

PS Can’t make it? You can still take part by shining a light for a loved one, past or present. Get your light here so it can help our cats shine bright all year long.

CAT’BARET SUCCESS: $100k+ Raised for Cats Through Magic, Song, and Sequins

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The results are in and our first-ever Cat’baret event was a sparkling success! In total, we raised over $100,000 in sponsorships, pledges, and donations, with almost half of that coming in during our mid-show fundraiser.

After some fab tunes from the highly-talented cabaret team of Scott Gryder and Nick Sula, our fearless leader Raissa Allaire took to the stage to tell all of our attendees about the work Tree House has accomplished this year. From putting a comforting kitten into the hands of a 101-year-old man to working towards a clinic to provide spay, neuter, and wellness services to families and animals in need, Tree House has done a lot for our community, for which we are very proud.

After more entertainment and a sneak preview of the documentary being filmed by Scrappers Film Group about Tree House’s TNR efforts, our guests took part in a Fund the Need paddle raise. The hands of our incredibly generous donors were flashing up into the air to give to the cats and community that we serve and we are absolutely honored to announce that we raised $50,000 in donations and pledges during that portion alone.

It seems that philanthropy and fun can indeed go together and Tree House proved that last night. Check out some great snapshots of the festivities below. Special thanks to Sprung Photo for the event photography and Steve Scap for step and repeat photography.

If you’d like to contribute to Cat’baret, it’s not too late! You can still take part in this event by donating a virtual cocktail to our kitties. We don’t know about you, but we have yet to find a cat who would refuse a glass of Dom Purr-ignon.

A huge thank you to all of our sponsors, guests, staff, and friends who made this one of our most successful events to date. Thank you for believing in our work. It is all of you who are saving the cats of Chicago and beyond.

Cheers!

Love,

Tree House.

Cat’baret 2019 Sponsors:

Best in show: Accenture

Faithful Companion: Hypurrthyroid

Paw-tner: VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago, Pets First Veterinary Clinic, Fifth Third Bank, First Midwest Bank, Merrick Pet Care

Friends of Tree House: IDEXX Laboratories

Edited 11/7/2019 to amend donation totals.

CAT’BARET OCTOBER 24: COME JOIN US!

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It’s not too late to join us for Cat’baret! This Thursday, October 24, from 5:30 to 9 pm, we will be celebrating our love of cats cabaret-style at Chicago’s City Winery.

There will be magic, there will be contortion, there will be music, and singing, and piano, food, desserts, wine, beer, soda, fun, photographers, good will, cheer, and a great cause.

Do not miss our first-ever Cat’baret for our cats.

Get your tickets online or buy at the door.

We will be waiting for you.

Love,

Tree House.

Tree House And the NY Cat Film Festival

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Hear ye, Hear ye! Tree House will be the official beneficiary of the New York Cat Film Festival this coming September 10th, 2019! But what does this mean?!

That cat looks concerned. Our cats never look this concerned, except for when we tell them we have to take their temperatures.

It means that 10% of every ticket sold to people interested in watching 2 hours of delightful cat documentaries will be handed over to our trusty shelter and used to enrich of the lives of the cats in our care.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, The NY Cat Film Festival is an annual celebration of the cats who share our lives, through short films from around the world that inspire, educate, and entertain, benefitting local animal welfare groups that bring people and pets together. The programming is designed for adult audiences but can be enjoyed by all members of the family, including mature children. Topics include Samantha and the Rock Cats, Harold “Cat Man” Sims, a professional cat groomer, and loads of other cat-related stories.

Ready to go? Get your tickets and tell the world here!

Don’t want to tell the world? Then quietly buy your ticket here, wear all black, and make eye contact with no one.

We hope to see you there! (Or not, depending on which of the above you’re comfortable with.)

Love,

Tree House.

Cat Walk Wrap Up and List of Winners

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The final toast!

It happened – the first-ever Tree House Cat Walk Pub Crawl event took place on July 27th, 2019 and it was a success! Thanks to everyone’s efforts, including all of our supporters, we were SOLD OUT two weeks before the date. Over 250 people got together to have fun, try some tasty drinks, and support Tree House’s vision to see every cat thrive. Here are some other major successes connected with the event:

Two of our sponsor cats, Leonardo Pescatore and Adam(o), were adopted! #TeamLeoCat and #TeamAdamoCat can celebrate big wins. That just leaves Cleopatra, our darling Calico, here. She’s waiting and she’s ready, so send everyone you know to meet her! And, since she’s still here, you have one more chance to donate in her name to help her and other cats like her get that one thing they’ve been waiting for: a home.

We Raised: Just over $20,000!

There are winners! Scroll down to the end of this post to see if you won one of our fantastic prizes.

A special thanks goes out to all of our sponsors and our host bars, to Wow Bao for donating a post-event snack for everyone, and to all of our attendees for being available and ready to support. No event can be a success without you. Our kitties send their love and thanks to you all!

And now for some picture highlights, courtesy of Barry Brecheisen Photography:

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

A one-night stay for two at the Drake Hotel

  • Betsy Pilmer

Two tickets to a Cubs game (Section 134), donated by Michael Gerhardt from ReMax

  • Staci Rhoads

Two club seats to a White Sox game (with Stadium Club Access), donated by Barry and Bobbi Ann Fulk

  • Sarah Rubin

Two (2) cocktail class passes from KOVAL Distillery

  • Danielle Richards

Four (4) distillery tour and tasting passes from KOVAL

  • Sarah Jackson

Two tickets to a performance at the Joffrey Ballet

  • Regan Brewer-Johnson

Two tickets to a performance at Victory Gardens

  • Tom Fuller

Dinner for two at Ramen-san ($100 gift card)

  • Fawna Black-Cicotte

Dinner for two at Sushi-san ($100 gift card)

  • Kelly Stone

Dinner for two at Il Porcellino ($100 gift card)

  • Dieter Keltner 

$25 gift card to Three Dots and a Dash

  • Spencer Gibson

$25 gift card to Two Dots and a Dash

  • Donna Finlon

$25 gift card to Three Dots and a Dash

  • Ashley Galante

$25 gift card to Three Dots and a Dash

  • Drew Gorenz

$25 gift card to Three Dots and a Dash

  • Emily Coppess

$25 gift card to Three Dots and a Dash

  • Crystal Silvester

$25 gift card to Three Dots and a Dash

  • Ashley Palladino

A pet lovers’ gift basket, including a $20 gift card to Jameson Loves Danger

  • Valerie Schlegel

$50 gift card to Carson’s

  • Alexandra Hizel

$50 gift card to Carson’s

  • Erica Cohen

$50 gift card to Carson’s

  • Scott Miller

Tree House will be in touch with you to coordinate your prize delivery!

Thanks again, everyone. #THCatWalk #Team

Love,

Tree House.

PS. Our next event is the Cat’baret on October 24th, 2019. We hope to see you there!

Coming to Cat Walk? Here’s What You Can Win! #THCatWalk

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You’re already a winner if you’re going to Cat Walk, but you don’t want to miss out on these exclusive raffle prizes! To be eligible to win, all you have to do is have your “passport” stamped (which you will receive at the beginning of Cat Walk), at each of the four participating bars. Who doesn’t love free stuff?

Some of our prizes include…

  • A one-night stay for two at the Drake Hotel
  • Two tickets to a Cubs game (Section 134), donated by Michael Gerhardt from ReMax
  • Two club seats to a White Sox game (with Stadium Club Access), donated by Barry and Bobbi Ann Fulk
  • Two cocktail class passes from KOVAL Distillery
  • Four distillery tour and tasting passes from KOVAL
  • Two tickets to a performance at the Joffrey Ballet
  • Two tickets to a performance at Victory Gardens
  • Dinner for two at Ramen-san, Sushi-san, and Il Porcellino (three prizes – $100 value each)
  • Seven $25 gift cards to Two Dots and a Dash
  • A pet lovers’ gift basket, including a $20 gift card to Jameson Loves Danger

Submit your completed passport at any Cat Walk venue to enter. Winners will be announced July 29. Surprise mini prizes will be given out to everyone at each bar just for attending.

Tree House would like to give a special thank you to all of our incredible friends and partners who have graciously donated to our raffle and helped make this possible!

A very limited number of tickets are still available for purchase here.

The cats can’t wait to hear all about your Cat Walk adventures!

Choose Your Cat Walk Team and Walk For A Purpose! (Besides All the Fun You’re Going to Have)

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If you were planning on coming to our first-ever Cat Walk Pub Crawl on July 27th, we’ve added a fantastic new way for you to help support our mission!

Three special cats who are looking for homes need your help. Choose your favorite and let everyone you know know that you are going to be walking in their honor. Share their names, share their stories, and share that you care! Choose from:

Adam(o) (left) arrived at Tree House in dramatic fashion, aboard an aircraft filled with 180 other cats and dogs seeking refuge from the Oklahoma storms. He is one of the thirty cats admitted to Tree House (he hypothesizes the “o” was added to his name to remind him of his Oklahoma roots). Adam(o) has a touch of the FIV, but you’d never know it by looking at him. He loves to cuddle and is raising awareness for his fellow #OKStormCats! Choose Adam(o) and know that there will be fireworks (tiny, furry ones) awaiting you at the Cat Walk finish line. #TeamAdamoCat

Choose Adamo if you love fireworks!

Cleopatra (middle), a charming senior kitty, would love to be your choice for the 2019 Cat Walk. Around Tree House, her own very special cat walk is famous. A little bit swagger, a little bit arthritis and neurological condition, and a little bit confidence, Cleo has some trouble with non-carpeted floors and other cats. She’d be perfect for a home with carpets (or rugs), living the life of a single cat, where she could be adored by her human. She’s been at Tree House for a while now, so choose Cleo and help bring attention to this fabulous girl so she can find the home she deserves! #TeamCleoCat

Choose Cleo if you love calicos!

Leonardo Pescatore (right) is Tree House’s longest resident at this time! He’s been looking for a home since December of 2017, and is currently staging a quiet protest where he wears a chicken hat (at his discretion) to speak out about his length of stay. Tree House has been caring for his Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, obesity, and skin condition. While he’s no longer dealing with the obesity or the skin condition, he will still have the other two viruses for life. In spite of all of this, Leonardo is perfectly adoptable! He loves (loves) to eat and have his back scratched, and he’s really into sitting on floors of all kinds. Choose Leonardo to walk in honor of #ChickenHatProtest! #TeamLeoCat

Choose Leo if you love floors.

Copy their photos from above and share far and wide! And don’t forget to include this link so anyone who wants to donate in your name can do so: http://treehouseanimals.org/TeamCatWalk

WHICH CAT TEAM WILL REIGN SUPREME?!

Love,

Tree House.

PS. Don’t have your tickets yet? Get ’em now! We’re halfway to sold out already and t-shirt size guarantees end July 11th, as do the sweet $25 tickets. You can still get them later, but it’ll cost you and your t-shirt might be too tight. Consider yourself warned.

Tree House’s First-Ever Cat Walk Pub Crawl Fundraiser!

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Do you like beer? How about cats? We think there’s a pretty solid chance that you like one of those two and, if you do, you’re our people. Do you like both? You’re definitely our people.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: TREEHOUSEANIMALS.ORG/CATWALK

And so, we’d like to introduce you to our newest fundraiser: the Cat Walk.

Think: Catchella. Think: bar crawl meets fundraiser meets community engagement. Simply put, you can have a cocktail in honor of a kitten.  

All of this fun will take place in Andersonville on Saturday, July 27 from 2pm – 6pm. Come hop along with us to Empirical Brewery, The Meeting House Tavern, The SoFo Tap, and Fat Cat. They have beer and one of them even has cats and, if you’re lucky, you’ll get the chance to see them as they patrol Empirical Brewery doing what they do best: keeping the rodents away as part of our Cats at Work program. No cat sighting, though? No problem! Every bar will be offering amazing drink specials. The Meeting House will have $5 Meow-garitas and $12 Purr-fect Mimosa Carafes. Empirical Brewery is planning a $4 house special on tap, Egon’s Ale, brewed specially for their brewery cat Egon’s birthday. The SoFo Tap is offering their Lap It Up special, half-off brews, and $4 Cat’s Meow Shot. And the aptly named Fat Cat will have $4 mixed drinks, featuring mango and paw-megranate.

Excited? There’s more! Get ready for cat trivia, kitten naming, and all kinds of other things our feline-serving staff are dreaming up for you. You’ll receive a passport at your port of entry (one of two bars, your choice when you purchase tickets) that will get a stamp for every activity you complete. When you hit all four Cat Walk locations, you get entered to win some big giveaway prizes, including an overnight stay for two at the Drake, box seats at a Sox game, and a cocktail making class at KOVAL Distillery.

The passport as it will look propped against your drinks when you attend our fabulous event.

We invite everyone to come out, bring your friends, and help us raise some funds to support our mission to empower communities of caregivers to protect, nurture, and support new solutions so no cat suffers. Be a part of the first-ever, hopefully-to-be-repeated, feline-fabulous, beer-filled Cat Walk and help support socially conscious sheltering and animal welfare in Chicago.

Tickets for Cat Walk can be found at treehouseanimals.org/catwalk. If you can’t make it, you can donate and support the Cat Walk with a virtual cocktail. Our kitties will love you for it.    

And if you happen to be neither a cat lover nor a beer lover, why are you still reading?

Love,


Tree House.

Kitten Conundrum: Where Do They Go Until They’re Ready?

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Hey you. Yeah, you there. I’ll bet you like kittens. It might be a little or you might already be wearing one on your t-shirt right now. If they’re not on your shirt, they might be on your socks. If they’re not on your socks, they’re probably on your mind. We know they’re definitely on OUR minds here at Tree House because it is just about to be kitten season. And what happens during kitten season? Kittens arrive. And then they need medical care. And food. And love. And they need to grow. Why? So we can spay and neuter them so they can go on to lead a long, fruitful life as someone’s best friend while not bearing any kitten-like fruit.

Now, let’s talk about the rub, for there is indeed a rub: Kittens aren’t generally spayed or neutered until they’re at least 2 lbs, which is around two months or later, depending on their health when they come in, and they can’t be admitted to our colonies until they’ve had their surgeries and vaccinations. So, where do the kittens go from the time we get them until they’re ready?

FOSTER.

This is from your writer’s private stash of foster photos. That’s Tot. I fostered her for Tree House in 2014 and I got to watch her grow up as I got updates from her adopter. They were too young to survive without their mom.

That word deserves its own paragraph because that’s how important it is. If you want to directly save a life, you foster. You see, if Tree House (or any rescue, for that matter) has open foster homes, we can pull more kittens from CACC because we know we have a safe place to keep them. If we have no place to keep them, we can’t pull as many. Every foster home equals AT LEAST one life saved. And if you take a whole litter of kittens? MORE lives saved!

Tree House needs two things right now: Long-term fosters and emergency fosters. If you are able to keep newborn kittens in a safe place for up to 72 hours, we need you. Those 72 hours are crucial and give us a place to stash these little critters while we find them the other thing we’re looking for: long-term fosters.

Our long term fosters will keep the kittens until they’re ready for the adoption floor. This is usually from 6 weeks to a few months.

Imagine it: you watch them grow, you love them, you scoop their boxes, play with them, enjoy them, and then, you set them free. Not back into the street, obviously, but into Tree House where they’ll find the homes of their dreams, all because of you.

We need you. THEY need you.

Are you ready to save a life? Click here to start.

Love,

Tree House.

PS If you want a little experience before you accept your first foster friend, come to our Kitten Shower & Foster Recruitment Event this coming May 5, from 11 am to 1 pm. We’ll play some games, provide some foster information, have some snacks, and we MAY have a visit from some kittens. It’s $10 per person, RSVP required.

Can’t make it? Send our little ones a gift. Kittens have wishes, too! Click here to view our Kitten Wishlist on Amazon.

Black Cat Bash 2018 Photo Gallery

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What a Party!

This year’s Black Cat Bash was a great night of food, fun, and furry friends. We had guests from throughout Chicagoland as well as from across the country! Proceeds from this event support our work to save sick, injured, and stray cats. Thanks to all our wonderful supporters. A big thank you as well to our tasting partners — Amazing Edibles, The Bad Apple, BUB CITY, Dream Cakes, Foodlife, HUB 51, Octavio Cantina & Kitchen, RPM Steak, and Wow Bao, for the incredible food!

Thanks to everyone who supported the Bash. The homeless cats who were at the shelter that night were intrigued by all the activity, and it truly was all for them. Thank you for being a part of helping save their lives!

To: TreeHouseHumaneSociety

Photos provided by Susie at CrimsonCatStudios.com