The Bakersfield Voice

My parents, Bob and E.J. Rutledge, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and instructed their children not to buy any gifts for them — they just wanted a casual dinner with the immediate family to celebrate the occasion. Because my family shows our affection for others by giving them gifts, this didn’t work for my brothers or me.

In trying to decide what type of gift my parents would accept, we naturally thought of cats. My parents love cats! They are foster parents for the SPCA, taking care of abandoned kittens until they are able to survive on their own. They regularly pay for the spaying and neutering of cats at the Animal Control Shelter so they are more likely to be adopted. And, they are very vocal supporters of a mandatory spay and neuter ordinance. What better way to honor our parents on this special occasion than to sponsor a spay and neuter cat clinic?

The SPCA held the “Bob and E.J. Rutledge Low-Cost Spay and Neuter Cat Clinic” in conjunction with their annual open house on March 1. We volunteered to help and made it a family event. The SPCA provided a banner publicizing the sponsorship and presented my parents with an anniversary cake that they shared with fellow animal lovers who attended the open house and clinic. The sponsorship was a win-win-win gesture. My parents loved the gift, my brothers and I (and our spouses) were able to show our love for our parents by giving them something really meaningful to them, and the sponsorship helped pay for the spaying and neutering of 124 cats, which helps our community.

This kind of gift is not for everyone, but if you want to do something to show your love for the animal lover in your life, consider donating to an organization that helps animals in their honor. It was the perfect way to say “I love you” to our cat-loving parents.