Pontiac man known as “cat man” Arnold Kuerbitz – December 2011

Pontiac man known as ‘cat man’ Arnold Kuerbitz dedicates life to rescuing cats in Pontiac

PONTIAC, Mich. – Arnold Kuerbitz knows people call him the cat man, and he’s proud of it. Residents of Pontiac have come to love Kuerbitz for that very namesake. Two years ago, he helped nurse a dying stray cat named CC back to health.

“Love at first sight,” Kuerbitz said. “She started all of this. She’s the beginning of all of this.”

“All of this” is a house haven for cats. Thirteen cats, to be exact, call Kuerbitz’s house their home. From Davey, to Chase, Midnight and, of course, CC.

“These are my kids and these are also God’s gift,” he said.

At least 15 other cats from the neighborhood crash in his garage. He keeps a space heater on in the garage at night and plenty of boxes and cages for the cats to crawl in and sleep.

Born and raised in Pontiac, Kuerbitz began noticing a problem.

“More people are moving out and they’re leaving their cats behind,” he said.

That means more cats wandering the city.

“They will survive because cats are survivors,” he said.

With the help of Kuerbitz, more cats are finding survival a bit easier. His mission: To rescue, spay and neuter stray cats, find them a good home, get them medical attention and, of course, food.

“If we run out of food I will feed them, they will not starve. I won’t eat before I let them starve,” Kuerbitz said.

 

 

 

 

It’s a big job, so the Cat Man has joined forces. Pam Porteus, of the Animal Care Network, has seen the stray cat problem first hand.

“A lot of them are suffering and they’re sick,” Porteus said.

 

She sets live traps and gets the cats help. She also helps residents whose neighborhoods are being invaded by the strays.

“I think Arnold’s one of the greatest guys I know in Pontiac. Good people. There needs to be more people in this city like that.”

Porteus and Kuerbitz have been making a difference one animal at a time.

“Actually, I wouldn’t have got so deep into it had I not met Pam,” said Kuerbitz.

While some dream of winning the lottery for a bigger house or fancy car, Kuerbitz is dedicated to his mission.

“If I ever hit a lottery ticket or get rich or something, or someone drops a million dollars on my porch, I swear with my hand on the Bible it’s going straight to a medical thing for cats and dogs,” he said. “These animals mean everything to me. I know there’s more like me out there. I am not the only one. There are more. I’m just one guy in this area. There’s other areas.

Full story / view video from ClickonDetroit.com

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