Would you believe there’s a thrift shop for animal lovers? No kidding. It’s called The Thrifty Kitty, and it’s on Webster Street in downtown Alameda.

You can find amazing stuff there, including (but not limited to) clothing, jewelry, antiques, art works, books, plants, furniture, vintage collectibles and one-of-a-kind items. The prices are low because all the items are donated, and you never know what new goodies you’ll find each time you visit.

“Some people get extremely good deals,” says manager Rob Lee. “A few months ago, somebody donated 12 boxes of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes. We can afford to be picky because we’re a small store. I like the idea that going to a thrift store is going to a treasure chest.”

The Thrifty Kitty was the brainchild of John Lipp, the CEO of Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter — FAAS, for short — who was searching for a new way to fill the always-pressing need for money to pay for food and medical treatment for the shelter’s cats and dogs. The shop is what he came up with. One of his first moves was to hire Rob, a 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry.

“I was brought in to be a warm face at the front of the store. I was always learning first names, remembering those names and making them feel like family whenever they walk in. A big part is just being nice. A lot of people have a story behind what they’re donating, and they often have a sentimental attachment. So I listen to what they have to say so they’ll have a good feeling after donating.”

Rob has been an animal lover since childhood.

“I was always a dog person, but one day I moved in with a girlfriend who had a black cat named Isabel. I really admired her stubbornness, and she knew how to be affectionate at all the right times when I was feeling down. Soon we had a nose-to-nose relationship. It wasn’t long before she just blew off my girlfriend and became my cat. When we broke up, I got the cat, which was the best part of the deal.”

Rob and his wife, Colette, have three cats: Elsa, a longhaired orange tabby; Ellie, a calico; and Bianca, a pure white shorthair that Colette found wandering around as a kitten on the the island’s West End.

They also have a dog, a terrier mix named Honey that was found on International Boulevard in East Oakland; and an African gray parrot named Max that absolutely rules the house.

“He chases the cats, like a bull chasing a matador,” Rob says.

“Rob is one of the most giving people I know,” says Gail Churchill, vice-president of Island Cat Resources and Adoption (ICRA, for short), a wonderful cat rescue/spay/neuter group from whom — full disclosure here — I got my late cats Sally and Pepe.

“Any animal that lands in his house has got it made. He even built an outdoor ‘catio’ for them so they can go outside from the dining room and still be safe and enclosed.”

And he returns the compliment. “They’re really a dedicated group. It takes a lot of patience to trap a cat. We’re really fortunate to have two organizations in this city that are so passionate about saving animals.”

If you’d like to donate items to The Thrifty Kitty or volunteer at the store, you can set up an appointment on their webpage at thethriftykitty.org or you can just walk into the store and pick up an application.

“We’re nothing without our volunteers,” says Rob.

As for ICRA, it’s about to hold its biggest fundraiser of the year, their annual Pawliday Boutique in the Alameda Elks Lodge at 2255 Santa Clara Ave. The fun starts with a Champagne Preview from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1, followed by the Boutique from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 2 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 3.

There will be a $10 entry fee for the Champagne Preview, but the Boutique’s admission the following two days will be free. It’s always a great party where you can shop for hostess gifts, stocking suffers, handcrafted goods, jewelry, plants and planters, holiday décor, cat-themed items, textiles and more. And like The Thrifty Kitty, every single cent will go to the animals. To find out more, visit icraeastbay.org.

Tell ’em my cats Sally and Pepe sent you.

Martin Snapp can be reached at catman442@comcast.net.