Diana Ketcham was a determined cat rescuer: The Catnip House, Cat Rescue. She lived in Arkansas. She was on disability and funded her cat rescue with donations. I am sure it was a struggle. She had a 2 acre place that seems to have been very suitable for cats. A safe place. She died recently. I don’t know the cause. She does not look old in the picture. She looks strong and a person who knows her own mind.
We could say she was just another semi-anonymous cat lover struggling to put right some of the wrong done to cats. There are a lot of women like Diana; strong-minded and determined to do something to help unwanted cats. It takes a strong mind to do that. They almost go against the flow. It can be like swimming upstream for independent cat rescuers running their own cat sanctuary.
I think it is fair to say that quite a lot of people don’t like these ladies. Society often see strong-minded independent ladies who rescue and care for a lot of cats as “crazy cat ladies“. The prefix “crazy” says it all. They are not crazy. They are nice and decent. As Ruth (aka Kattaddorra) states, why are they branded as crazy? Fortunately a lot of people admire them and support them.
Diana’s husband, Max will presumably run The Catnip House (their FB page is still there) for a while, at least. It must be very tough for him.
This is a quote from the Planet Kitty author:
It is so very sad when a true, passionate, and compassionate animal advocate, rescuer, or warrior as i prefer, passes from this world onto the next. it means one of us is down. we are one warrior less in the rank of file of the few of us that goes to battle daily when we get up and get out of our beds.
She describes Diana Ketcham as a “warrior”. Perhaps that is a good description for a woman who fights for the welfare of cats and who constantly swims upstream.
May Diana rest in peace and thank you, on behalf of the cats of the world.
I was Diana Ketcham’s husband and Lisa has no clue about Diana or her cats. her cats were not “turned out”, they were given to a no kill shelter in little rock and people around the area. Lisa has a problem telling the truth it seems. 3 of her cats did die while she was in the hospital (60 days). I took care of them the best I could being 90 miles away from home spending every day and night taking care of a dying wife. I believe in Lisa’s mind I should have left Diana die alone and stayed with the cats I’m sorry I didn’t share Diana’s love for cats but I did do everything I could to insure they were safe before I Diana’s hone state and returned home. I I am tired of Lisa telling lies about me because I refuse to explain myself and my actions to her. Also in the 6 years Diana and I were married I only know of 2 times she talked to Lisa, so how dies she know a darned thing about the situation?
Max, thanks for commenting – useful comment.
Her name sounds familiar to me, but I don’t know why.
In any case, she sounds like a beautiful person and someone I could have been good friends with.
I’m sure that monster of a husband not only neglected the cats but turned his back on Diana as well as his ailing mother-in-law.
I don’t know if Arkansas has a law on their books about neglecting animals or not. Maybe that’s why he left the state.
If the law can’t get him, Karma will.
Oh dear- it’s lucky her husband is there to make sure nothingbad happens to the cats after Diane is gone.
Her husband is not there. He did not help with Diana’s cats. In fact he had been going to take them to a local kill shelter until Dianas friends intervened. The Catnip House is no more. Her ashes were scattered on the property and then he left the state. Diana is in a better place in heaven with some of her beloved cats. The Humane Society. of Pulaski County Arkansas has most of the seventy one kitties she was caring for. A few died while she was in the hospital as they no longer were being taken care of by the husband who had just turned them out of the house. Please keep Diana’s cats in your prayers. She was a closse friend and we spoke often. She loved her cats she loved all Gods creatures. She had turned sixty while unconcious and on a ventilator. She was a good friend to many. Please pray for her mother Bobby who last I knew was ill herslf. They were close.
Thank you very much Lisa for your welcome comment and for correcting me. Appreciated. I admire her. Anyone who loves animals and struggles to help them are first class people as far as I am concerned. I am sad to read that her husband acted in such an insensitive way.
I am not very religious but I will say a prayer for her, her cats and her mother tonight.
I’m so sad for you Lisa, to lose your close friend Diana at only 60 years old and to know her cold hearted husband didn’t care about the cats she loved, must be heartbreaking for you.
Poor Bobby too, she must be quite old and this dreadful shock won’t help her recover from her illness.
I will also be praying for her and for all who loved Diana and who love Bobby and also for the cats, hoping the ones still living recover and get good homes.
My late mother used to say ‘Only the good die young’ but it’s hard to accept the death of a lovely lady like your friend Diana obviously was.
Take care x