Several years ago I had a brainstorm. No, not the one that found Jann and I starting FieldHaven Feline Rescue nearly 7 years ago. That was more of a brain-tsunami.
This brainstorm hit me as I was flying across the country on a business trip or to visit my mother – I can’t remember which. I was sitting stuffed in my window seat with an iPod singing in my ear and pounding away on my laptop trying to do some work. No matter how much I tried to concentrate my mind kept drifting to FieldHaven. We were doing a commendable job of adopting cats and kittens into homes and bringing affordable spaying and neutering to our community with SNAP (spay/neuter assistance program). But it seemed the floodgates of people wanting to bring cats to us just never seemed to stop. There must be something else we could do…..
On that plane, from the small, cramped seat of 12A (OK, I don’t remember the exact seat but you get the idea) I came up with the idea of the Community/Cat Assistance Team or C.A.T.
It’s not really a new or unique concept this idea of helping people find solutions to their cat problems and answering their questions. But giving it a moniker and stating our purpose got us beyond the weary, worn-out response of “we have no room for your cat(s) at FieldHaven” that we found ourselves saying so many times each day in response to phone calls, voice mails or emails. Or worse yet, not even responding.
At that point I pledged that we would make an effort to help those people that contacted FieldHaven with a cat issue, no matter what it was. Yes, the majority of the time we would not be able to their cat in but we could provide alternatives or, at the very least, a compassionate ear and advice. We could guide people through challenges that could result in bringing harmony back into their lives with a peaceful co-existence of people and cats. We decided we would help people with anything “cat” – no question or situation is too far out of bounds.
C.A.T. has become widely praised. Our volunteers often hear that we were the only organization who returned their calls. Sometimes, just by merely commiserating with people on the challenges of finding a home for their cat we help them. Most times, however, we can provide real solutions by working together. Beyond the “can we bring a cat to your shelter?” calls here’s a few examples of how FieldHaven’s C.A.T. volunteers reach out to the community to help in some less than ordinary ways:
Home Health Care for Cats
Recently we received a call from the out-of-town daughter of a FieldHaven adopter who lives in Lincoln. Her mother absolutely loved the kitty she adopted from us several years ago but the kitty was now very ill and her mother needed assistance. Her kitty had been diagnosed with diabetes and she wasn’t sure how her elderly, non-driving mother was going to be able to manage her kitty’s medications and veterinary visits. A grandson and family lived nearby and could help but had limited availability.
A plea was sent out to FieldHaven volunteers and a team of 4 kitty-caregivers was assembled, one who lived right down the street and another in the same community. This team, joined by the grandson’s wife, organized themselves around providing the twice daily injections this kitty required.
Unfortunately, the kitty’s kidneys began to fail and she lost her battle but not before a strong bond was formed with the kitty’s mom and her caregivers. She approached us after the death of her kitty stating that she wasn’t ready to adopt but missed her friendly purr partner. We came up with the solution of offering a kitty to foster. We were able to match her with an adult kitty that wasn’t fond of sharing her space with other kitties in the shelter. This kitty needed her own space and person and this person needed a kitty in her space - how's that for a win-win?
Cat Witness Protection Program
You’ve heard of people going into the witness protection program but a cat? You bet! Recently, my husband, Preston, became an honorary member of C.A.T. when he played an integral part in this kitty’s relocation plan.
Frank (not his real name) had gotten himself into some real trouble in his community in another part of California. For obvious reasons we can’t provide details, but just suffice it to say that Frank was in a pickle. Frank had his “day in court”, and it was ordered that he be neutered, and placed on probation for his behavior, and could return to his family. His family never bailed Frank out. Animal Services knew Frank was really a good guy, felt sorry for him, and then set out to find a solution to the situation. Euthanasia was just not an option that Animal Services would consider. It was resolved that Frank would be placed in a rehab home in another state, where he can serve his probation and become a useful member of society. After searching nationwide, a spot was found for Frank.
A posting to a Sacramento area animal welfare email list asked for someone to carry Frank along on a flight. Preston travels nearly every week for work so, of course, I volunteered him for the special mission.
A week later, very early on a Monday morning, Animal Services handed custody of Frank over to Preston at airport security and they boarded a plane for his new home; a first class seat to boot. At their destination, Preston and Frank were met by Animal Control staff who whisked him off to his new home.
A posting to a Sacramento area animal welfare email list asked for someone to carry Frank along on a flight. Preston travels nearly every week for work so, of course, I volunteered him for the special mission.
A week later, very early on a Monday morning, Animal Services handed custody of Frank over to Preston at airport security and they boarded a plane for his new home; a first class seat to boot. At their destination, Preston and Frank were met by Animal Control staff who whisked him off to his new home.
Frank is doing wonderful in rehab, and is supervised by two resident animal control officers – wherever that is…
It is reported that he has even made some new friends and is learning proper behavior.
Cat Up A Tree ……for 5 Days!
A distressed cat-owner emailed an urgent plea. She was out of town with a sick relative. Her daughter was watching her kitties and one had slipped out the door. They searched and searched for Sarah without success. In the meantime a neighbor a half mile up the road found a kitty in a tree where she lingered for 5 days without coming down. They assumed someone had abandoned her and were trying to get her down in desperation. They thought she would surely come down especially when, on day 5, it started raining. Somehow, they connected with the daughter who was relieved to find Sarah but how to get her to climb 40 feet down the tree?
Her plea was answered with the suggestion to call a tree service. Within a couple of hours kitty was safely out of the tree and back home with medical supervision. The tree guy had a few scratches to show for his heroics but I’m sure he’s proudly showing them off!
Yes, Cats Can Go on Road Trips
The caller was distraught because they were moving across the country in several days and, so far, he couldn’t find anyone who would give a home to his daughter’s cat. When asked why they weren’t taking the cat with them he said that they were driving and it would take days to drive to New York and, besides, the temporary rental they were going to didn’t allow pets.
We reassured the caller that it was entirely possible to transport kitty across the country in a car. We offered up some tips:
- Purchase one of the “tent” pop-up, soft-sided crates that would large enough to hold a bed, a small litter pan and food/water.
- Keep kitty in the crate in the car at all times and carry the crate into the hotel room each night, only allowing kitty out when in an enclosed area.
- Outfit kitty with a harness and leash which stays on at all times and could be used in case of an emergency escape from the crate.
- Microchip and put tags on kitty’s harness.
As for the landlord at the rental, when asked if they were would reconsider the no-pets policy they allowed the family to bring along kitty. Yes, Landlords will negotiate and can often be flexible (see next story).
Therapy Pets Allowed
A friend’s developmentally disabled son and (also disabled) girlfriend were moving into a new apartment which did not allow pets. The girlfriend had a cat which meant the world to her and she was heartbroken about having to give up her personal purr therapist. At our suggestion, the girlfriend’s doctor was contacted and he wrote a letter to the landlord stating that the cat was an important part in the ongoing treatment for her disability. Kitty was allowed to move into the apartment – another almost-homeless kitty saved!
These stories just scratch the surface of how FieldHaven’s amazing C.A.T. volunteers help people every day. Would you like to be part of this valuable team? We are in critical need of volunteers to help with the following:
- Answering phone calls and emails
- Team Lead to organize schedules and communication flow
- Researching information
- Documenting and logging calls/emails and responses
- Writing a C.A.T. blog to chronicle the adventures of this extraordinary group of volunteers
If you are a current volunteer please email me at Joy if you are interested in getting involved. If you are not a current volunteer and want to help please complete a volunteer survey at Volunteer Application
C.A.T. is a perfect opportunity to help even if you are not near FieldHaven. We don't even care if you're not in California! This is a way to volunteer from anywhere!
