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It was the day after Halloween and there was not a black cat in sight at the third annual Hairball fundraising finner and silent auction at the Marco Island Marriott Resort. There was however a clowder of cat lovers, each with a story to share.

They swapped cat stories as they queued up at the cash bar, browsed the numerous silent auction items, watched the collage of kittens roll by on the 40-inch Samsung LCD television and over the buffet dinner. The stories ranged from the bald rescued kitten that had lost all his hair due to flea dermatitis and whose sweet personality is beginning to emerge along with his fur, to the death of a beloved furred companion of 26 years.

The fundraiser benefited For the Love of Cats, Inc., a no kill, all volunteer shelter and rescue group that is dedicated to saving the lives of cats and kittens in Marco Island, the Isles of Capri, and Goodland.

“We are happy it’s here. We have been working on it since June. It’s our biggest fundraiser,” said volunteer Lisa Honig.

The organization rescues abandoned kittens and humanely traps, vaccinates, and neuters stray and feral cats. Kittens and domestic cats are adopted into caring homes. Healthy adult cats too wild to be adopted, are returned to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of volunteers.

Local veterinarians provide medical care for the kittens and cats brought to the shelter. Volunteers visit daily to work and play with the cats. Their goal is to assess individual personalities and match each one to the right family.

More than 70 silent auction items were donated: jewelry, art, trips, electronics, golf, and stays at resorts.

“We are so grateful to the support of the community. We are thrilled to do this work on the Island. We’ve been doing this work since 2002 and we couldn’t do it without the support of the community,” said For the Love of Cats, Inc. President Jan Rich.

In addition to the silent auction items, there was the Kitten Hospital Donation Station manned by volunteers Cindy Crane and Ellen LeBow. Patrons who made a donation were given a Kitten Olympic Medal. The medal consisted of a gold tone medallion with the For Love of Cats logo on it and a wide magenta ribbon. The donations would be used for medication, treatments, and food.

“When the kittens come in they are given flea baths and treated with antifungal shampoo. We have to wear lab coats, and go through lots of latex gloves. Unfortunately, they come to us with special needs, such as being hit by a car or needing an amputation. Since we started in 2002, over 900 kittens were adopted and over 400 strays were sterilized. A notch is put in the ear of each sterilized cat before they are placed back in the place they were captured. Volunteers go to different feral colonies to feed them. Once a year they are captured and brought to a vet,” explained Cindy Crane.

More and more domestic cats are being abandoned noted Jim Rich, who is the Vice President of the organization.

“Since January we have cared for 37 adult domestic cats. In the previous five years we’ve had six. We found homes for all of them.”

On Saturday, talk of cats and kittens continued as attendees tucked into a Mediterranean inspired buffet. There were three salads — mixed greens, tomatoes and mozzarella, and grilled vegetables, accompanied by flat bread and an assortment of miniature rolls. Three entrees — chicken marsella, ziti, and grilled snapper with vegetables. And three deserts — cannolis, tiramisu, and biscotti.

“I can’t remember being at an event where the food was so outstanding,” said former volunteer Patty Larkin. She volunteered at the shelter until she adopted two cats of her own.

The excitement at the tables built as the time for the reverse raffle drawing drew near. Cat lover, Pat Ferguson won the plasma TV.

“I’ve never won anything,” gushed Ferguson who asked if the kittens’ video came with the TV.

The end of a purrfect evening wound down as the more than 130 attendees drank coffee, nibbled on biscotti and waited for the last of the silent auction winners to be announced.

For more information on For the Love of Cats, Inc. call 642-8674 or go to floridacatrescue.com. Volunteers are needed to work at the shelter, provide foster care for kittens, feed feral cat colonies, and trap kittens and feral cats.