Nine Lives at a Time: The Inside Story of an Appalachian Cat Rescue

When bookstore owner Wendy Welch was swept into the world of cat rescue, she found friends and felines in unusual places. The rescue operation coalesced within a rural Appalachian county that faced challenges in financial support and substance misuse. A plucky band of volunteers founded a nonprofit by thinking outside the box--while scooping inside the boxes. Appalachian Feline Friends associates soon found themselves learning to spell and treat coccidia; encountering members of the public who had great expectations; bottle-feeding orphaned infants; and figuring out how 300 cats per year could be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and adopted. The antics and adventures of well-meaning, untrained do-gooders are by turns hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Cat lover or people watcher, these stories showcase human nature's finest moments.