The holidays are a special time of year. Families come together, there’s a cheer in the air, and everybody, even Los Angeles drivers, acts kinder. But some people go out of their way to make the holidays even more memorable, and to weave in a good deed at the same time. Jay Leno is one of those generous people, and we have just the story to prove it: He spent his holidays hosting an intimate dinner for close friends and family…and inviting 18 adorable homeless kittens to join him as well.
Most of us know Jay’s enormous comedic talent and have read about his enthusiasm for cars. But not everyone knows that he is equally passionate about cats! Not only has he been a longtime client of FixNation, but this funny guy also has a soft spot for helping our tabby friends. At the garage where Jay keeps his famous car collection, he and his staff have taken in numerous “garage cats” over the years, and we’ve been all too happy to work with them in spaying and neutering them all.
Jay shares his fondness for felines with his beloved wife Mavis Leno. Imagine our surprise when he called FixNation asking for us to help him plan a fabulous surprise holiday party for her – one that she’d never forget. His idea was a “Kitten Café,” which he envisioned happening at his upcoming holiday dinner party just two days away! The hope was that Mavis and their guests could cuddle and play with adorable, adoptable kitties both before and after (and let’s just face it, probably during) the festive meal.
Although FixNation doesn’t handle adoptions, we worked with a few wonderful rescue partners in order to help make Jay’s wish a reality. Aimee Gilbreath of Found Animals/Adopt and Shop, Jody Slater of CATS, Inc. and Jacquie Navartil of Luxe Paws helped us pull it off. And thanks to our combined efforts, Mavis was absolutely thrilled and everyone had a fantastic time playing with a heap of lovable kittens. Best of all, some of them even got their holiday miracle early…a happy forever home.
We wonder if maybe some of the cats Jay has helped over the years have been his good luck charm, or if maybe he practices his hilarious jokes on them. Most likely, he just does it out of the kindness of his heart. We thank Jay Leno for being a longtime supporter of FixNation, for being a proud cat guy, and for his compassion to our cause.
