by Timothy Rutt
Millard Canyon resident Bonnie Schumaker is looking for homes for some cats.
Which are in now in Kentucky. She'll fly them over to you this weekend.
Schumaker, who retired from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory last year, is now devoted full time to her nonprofit organization, On Wings of Care. A pilot for 18 years, the organization takes Schumaker's love of flying and combines it with her concern for animals and the environment.
For part of the year, she's headquartered in New Orleans (where her boyfriend lives), and flies over the Gulf of Mexico, transporting scientists who track the effects of oil spills and other pollution on the environment and animal populations.
But she also gets involved in hands-on animal rescue, sometimes saving them from desperate situations. Fortunately that's not always the case: this weekend, she's looking for homes for a few cats. The cats, all females, were saved by a Kentucky no-kill cat rescue organization, but the woman in charge is in deteriorating health and wants to give the rescued cats to good homes.
"There's plenty of room for these kitties," Schumaker said by phone from New Orleans. "They're well-loved, well-adjusted rescued cats -- only their rescuer is taking ill."
Schumaker will fly commercially from New Orleans to Nashville, Tenn. this weekend, where she will pick up a Cessna 310 twin engine to deliver to the new owner, a mechanic at Brackett Field in La Verne.
The Cessna's seats will be removed and shipped separately to make room for her cargo: Nubian milking goats and the Kentucky cats.
The goats are destined for farms in Riverside County and the Philippines, where they'll be used as milkers. But since there was extra room -- and the cats needed homes -- Schumaker decided to pack the plane up.
"It's air conditioned, and the plane is comfortable," Schumaker said.
In an email, she said her present plan is to take off early Monday morning from Nashville and arrive at Brackett Field in Laverne sometime between 4 and 6 PM. A full description of the unadopted cats on the plane is after the jump -- if you're interested, contact her at bonny@onwingsofcare.org.
- Maggie is a very pretty, short-haired, marbled grey and tan tabby cat (born approx. August 2010). This young lady is very affectionate and playful.
- Angel is a tabby liberally sprinkled with white (birthday around August 2010). She can be shy or very friendly, depending upon the setting, but she's always beautiful (which is not evident in her photo). She has the cutest, carmel-colored triangle pattern over her nose and striking celadon eyes.
- Cada is a beautiful, declawed (front paws) Maine Coon-brown tabby x, ~7 yrs old. She is rather shy and will hide when she hears a stranger, but she loves running water and plays like a kitten in it. She could blossom with the right person.
- Juliet is a stunning, short-haired "tuxedo" cat with amazing white whiskers (born around July 2011). She is very young and very shy. Accept her initial independence and you will be rewarded by her trust. She currently sleeps close to her caretaker each night. The right person could win this mysterious and graceful Lady's heart.
- Dottie is a plump, short-haired black-and-white cat with a dot of black fur next to her white nose and golden eyes (born around September 2009). She is a very sweet, laid-back "bed" cat that stays close to the one she loves.
