Mariners’ Andrés Muñoz partners with Seattle cat rescue organization

SHORELINE — Mariners pitcher Andrés Muñoz finally failed to close the deal.

The most successful closer in the American League looked down at his hands. Then glanced up. Then back down. The pitch being delivered had to be perfect.

But Muñoz was realistic about the situation. And on this Monday — an off day when Muñoz was nowhere near a baseball field — he knew this pitch wouldn’t be successful.

As much pull he felt to bring home one of the kittens being held in his hands, it wouldn’t be fair to his wife Wendy or their now-famous cat Matilda to add a kitten to the chaos of a baseball season.

“I think they are the best friend of a human,” Muñoz said. “That is why I love to take care of them. Pets give you a lot of happiness. I feel like they make you more happy, and that is why it’s really important for me.”

Though the Mariners are one of baseball’s hottest teams and Muñoz continues to establish himself as one of the game’s top relievers, his day off Monday was spent visiting the Seattle Area Feline Rescue (SAFR).

There were no triple-digit fastballs or devastating sliders here. No chatter of how Muñoz is tied for second in Major League Baseball in pitcher WAR (wins above replacement, a stat that measures a player’s value to their team), according to Baseball-Reference.com. Just an animal lover who wanted to learn more about the organization he’s partnering with to help raise money and awareness.

“It’s fantastic. … It just helps people kind of understand the need. Raises our profile, which is really, really helpful,” said Emily Sprong, the executive director of the rescue. “There’s a lot that goes into getting these kitties, bringing them in. There’s always more need out there. So Andrés, the Mariners, helping with that helps us be able to help more cats.”

The rescue is auctioning off an experience curated by Muñoz that includes game tickets, batting practice passes and a meet and greet with the M’s closer. The auction launched Monday and runs through May 5.

For Muñoz, the decision to help the rescue is personal. Most of the baseball community learned of his love for cats recently when, during an appearance on MLB Network, Muñoz spoke about Matilda, the cat rescued in his hometown of Los Mochis, Mexico. Matilda regularly goes on M’s road trips, traveling with Wendy to keep the whole family together.

“It’s awesome to have her, and it’s awesome to see her life change,” Muñoz said.

But Matilda is just the most recent example of how deeply Muñoz cares for animals. It’s a family trait — maybe even an expectation.

Muñoz recalled the story of his grandfather at one time caring for 26 dogs on his property in Mexico, and all 26 tried to “jump onto the bed and try to sleep with him.”

Currently at his family’s property in Mexico, Muñoz said they are caring for eight cats and 10 dogs. One of his dreams would be to open a facility similar to SAFR in Los Mochis.

“There are a lot of animals around. You see a lot of dogs in the streets, a lot of cats in the streets,” Muñoz said. “You can see the bones from how hungry that they are. It’s just we can’t let that happen, and we have to take care of them.”

As Muñoz toured the feline rescue center Monday, he received the background on all that goes into caring for the cats and kittens in the facility. There were about 20-25 on site on this day with another 50 or so currently being fostered by volunteer families.

The Shoreline facility opened about 18 months ago and is 6,400 square feet, which is a massive upgrade after being crammed into a 1,700 square-foot building previously.

The new space includes medical treatment areas and separate rooms for cats and kittens at different stages of their journeys. Kittens still waiting to be spayed or neutered are in one area. Animals dealing with issues such as ringworm are housed in another space. And those ready for adoption are in yet another section.

Last year, SAFR took in roughly 1,600 cats. Of those, 518 needed to be spayed or neutered with another 85 receiving treatment for ringworm. The majority of the cats that come through the facility are from Washington, with a significant number coming from east of the Cascades. The rescue center regularly takes in cats from California and Hawaii, as well.

“All that they showed here, all the things behind the scenes that nobody sees, all the things that they do before somebody can adopt that is what I learned,” Muñoz said.

The rescue exists because of donations, fundraising and grants as a nonprofit, which makes Munoz’s contribution important even if it’s just a small drop in the pool of money SAFR needs to run the facility. There are 22 employees keeping the place running seven days a week, with a massive team of volunteers — sometimes 15 or 20 per day — chipping in to help.

Sprong said each cat’s care averages to about $1,000, and adoption fees are $200.

“Cats are definitely underserved and overshadowed by dogs,” Sprong said. “I love dogs, too. I have a dog at home, but being able to have a space like this that is has been built and designed for cats, it’s a quiet environment, no barking or anything, it makes a really big difference. It allows us to really focus on their unique needs.”

Before he left, someone joked to check Muñoz’s pockets. If this was on the field, it could be said the pitcher was suspected of using petroleum jelly or some other substance to doctor a baseball.

In this case, it was to make sure Muñoz didn’t walk out with a kitten.

“What they are doing here is awesome,” he said.