Hi Jade,
The regional shelter where I had been working has made some major operational and policy changes lately. Unfortunately, they resulted in some collateral damage by limiting volunteer access and functionality, so I am no longer able to perform most of the functions I did at the shelter. So for now at least, most of my time is devoted to Shadow Cats. I will be their volunteer coordinator and trainer as well as the acting sanctuary operations manager for a couple of months because the volunteer who has been doing that will be gone.
Hey, Nancy, I just took a long look at the site and I have to say, what a perfect place; a fun and amazing place for both the cats and volunteers. Are you still with your first volunteer job and this makes the second? In any case, thank god for people like you who have the time to give these kitties and make them feel loved and special.
Shadow Cats Rescue is fortunate that the husband of the owner is a feline vet, in fact, a rather renowned feline vet. Even so, as a non-profit it runs on a shoestring budget dependent on donations with only one part time person that does most of the cleaning and feeding. Everyone else volunteers their time and expertise, and we are fortunate that some of those volunteers do have expertise and that Dr. Smith provides vet care pro bono as needed.
I was talking with Gayle, the volunteer from the county animal services who looks after the cat room at the local Petsmart the other day (I give her weekly Teia updates, as she is trying to do the same with a semi-feral kitty she and her husband fostered, then adopted).
She calls me a "cat whisperer;" told her I could finance and volunteer at such a place, but I'd hire caring professionals to actually run it.
I'll hold you to that Pip....LOL. It definitely is your kind of place....they have had great success is redomesticating ferals and when they take in a cat, it is a lifelong commitment. It would make Miss T proud :-)
Looks like the kind of place I'd finance if that $1 a week I put on the Lotto ever hits =)
I know, right, Opus. I'm so exited about this place. The cats are so healthy and none of them are caged. The Fel Leuk cats are in a separate area from the others of course but even they have their own areas to free roam in and every cat has access to both indoor climate controlled as well as protected and enclosed outdoor space.
Oh Nancy I took the tour....what a simply amazing place!!! the sanctuary is the next best thing to a real home, how happy they all seem and enjoy getting their turn at some love 'n hugs....congrats to the owners of this wonderful place and to you and all the volunteers who truly love cats....wish we had one like that here..♥