A cat waits for the sun to come out while relaxing at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter’s new catio which was donated by the family of Christine Lindstrand.
RYAN BERRY, Billings Gazette
Dave and Alene Lindstrand have their photo taken in front of Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter’s new catio Tuesday, which they donated to the shelter in honor of their late sister Christine Lindstrand, a cat-lover who lived in Billings.
Dave and Alene Lindstrand, of Spokane, Washington, visited the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter Tuesday morning to see the final product of a donation they made last year.
The family's gift to the shelter came in the form of a "catio" — an enclosed outdoor patio for resident cats — to honor Dave's late sister Christine Lindstrand, a Billings resident and lifelong cat lover who died of cancer in 2020.
"It makes me a bit emotional to see that," Dave said as he read a sign dedicating the new structure in Christine's memory.
Three cats were out basking in the sun on the catio when the Lindstrands arrived from Great Falls, where Dave's mother lives. He held back tears as he took in the sight. Alene began playing with the cats through the fence.
Trinity Chavez, executive director of the shelter, thanked the Lindstrands as she showed them around the new and improved cat area, noting that a catio had been on YVAS's wish list for a long time, but the funding had never been available until now.
The catio features multiple walkways and spots to lay down, and is accessible by a door flap that connects the cats to the inside of the building. Shelter cats are free to come and go and play with the toys and plants, catnip included, that fill the catio.
The shelter has also installed a camera in the new outdoor structure that streams to a television inside, so potential adopters get a chance to see all the cats at once. Chavez said they plan to begin streaming the video on their website in the coming weeks.
"Being able to see the animals play makes them more adoptable," she said, noting that the shelter's cats did not previously have a chance to get outside and play in the sun. She added that the opportunity to be outside was especially important for cats who are indoor-outdoor by nature.
The Lindstrands, who are dog owners but lovers of all animals, were pleased with the end result of their donation and especially happy to see their sister remembered in a way that reflects her love of cats.
"We wanted to do something to memorialize (Christine) and to keep it in the Billings community," Dave said. "but it's even better than we expected."
Photos: Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter introduces new "catio"
A cat waits for the sun to come out while relaxing at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter’s new catio which was donated by the family of Christine Lindstrand.
Dave and Alene Lindstrand have their photo taken in front of Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter’s new catio Tuesday, which they donated to the shelter in honor of their late sister Christine Lindstrand, a cat-lover who lived in Billings.