Volunteer on an ongoing basis.

morning I clean at the shelter. Some weeks it’s harder than others. I usually cry at least once while I’m there each week. For instance, I was cleaning the cage of a gorgeous HUGE cat named Gatsby. He is the sweetest guy and wanted love. I always try to give as much attention as I can, but I ended up sitting on the floor for 10 minutes with him curled up in my lap. He was a purrbucket and just looking up at me with the most devoted expression. And it breaks my heart that such amazing animals who would make great pets haven’t found their “forever homes” yet. But it’s a no-kill shelter, so he’ll stay there waiting till the right person comes along.
12/8: Gatsby got adopted!! Yay!!

finding groups that NEED volunteers. Crazy, I know, but maybe with the economy, more people are volunteering, and groups can’t spend ALL their time dealing with volunteers I suppose. After my experience at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, I’m all fired up to help the kitties. (The pic above is Dora, a very sweet FIV+ kitty I met there.)
I contacted the woman who runs the rescue group where I got Dexter (Small Miracles Cat Rescue). She rescues adoptables from the kill shelter in Baltimore so you don’t have to (going to a kill shelter makes me weep for weeks.) I am going to be fostering a mom and newborn kittens starting this weekend. Yay! Happiness is kittens! I really believe in spay/neuter of course, but when the cats come in pregnant, you’ve gotta do what you’ve got to do and raise them….fix them…find them happy homes. The woman has also recently been able to open a shelter. (She used to work out of her home and is a former vet, so she does it all!) But the shelter, with regular hours, should be able to facilitate more adoptions. I’ll be helping out there as well, especially since I’m often free during the day.
YAY! Kitten pics posted soon!!