The Kitten and Screamin’ event is intended to help local cats in need to the beat of punk rock.
A local cat club will host its annual spring fundraiser, Kitten and Screamin’, on Saturday at The Barn music venue in Williamstown.
The Maple Shade-based Quirky Cat Club is a nonprofit that helps local felines. The fundraiser will feature a night of free punk rock music with bands such as Card Reader, Kings of the Wild Things, Wishful Thinking and Longfriend Timefriend.
“We’ve been slow rolling shows at our spot, and they (the club) were one of the groups who reached out to us,” said Barn owner Andy Segado. This is the venue’s second year as the fundraiser’s host.
Club founder Anna Marie Brady explained the origin of the event.
“It came to be because ‘kitten season’ begins in March and runs through pretty much until September, and we take in a lot of kittens during those months,” she said of the club. “It’s a particularly busy – and very expensive – time, because not only are we getting these kittens fixed, vaccinated and tested when they’re old enough, but we are also deworming them, giving them flea preventative.
“Many times, if they are not with their mothers,” Brady added of the kittens, “we are syringe-feeding or bottle feeding them around the clock, among other, often messy things.”
The Quirky Cat Club offers shelter to stray cats or those whose owners can no longer care for them. Members will find new homes for the animals, prepare them to be social and ensure they are ready for aspiring cat owners.
The fundraiser’s punk rock theme was chosen because Brady has band experience she uses to help promote the charity and fundraiser. The club’s work has resulted in Chewy.com referring to it as South Jersey’s Punk Rock Cat Rescue.
“Everywhere we went, we made pins and event-specific ‘membership’ stickers to hand out that say, ‘I Joined Quirky Cat Club,'” Brady recalled. “We talked to as many people as we could and ran with the idea that we are a very inclusive club. If you want in, we want you!
“We went everywhere from farmer’s markets or animal shelter open houses to libraries to flea markets,” she added.
Guests at Kitten and Screamin’ can purchase a ticket at the door or donate an item from the club’s Amazon wish list as admission. The venue is located at 236 Washington Ave. in Williamstown. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with performances starting at 7 p.m.
“We had a great time last year and wanted to do it again this year,” said Segado of hosting the fundraiser. “It’s great to be able to mold music and charity together. You can’t go wrong there.”
