Volunteer of the Month – May 2023
Kat Swanson – Volunteer of the Month May 2023
Kat originally started volunteering for CRAN in 2017, on the medical crew, as a data entry volunteer, and as a cat behavior consultant. In the past year or so, she has taken on fostering and socializing some of CRAN’s shy or undersocialized kitties. Kat has a real heart for what a cat or kitten needs, providing kindness and empathy to her foster kitties.
From Kat: “I started volunteering with West Coast Dog & Cat (now CRAN) as a cattery socializer at PetSmart North & Petco because I had been able to reduce my work schedule and wanted to give back to the community through my love of cats. I’m not sure if that was before 2017, but it might have been. Later I did medical data entry for a hot second (it wasn’t for me), and offered cat behavior consulting support as part of my internship for my Advanced Feline Training & Behavior Specialist certification through Animal Behavior Institute.
I took a break from volunteering during the pandemic, but started fostering in March of 2022 and it had been the right fit; I have a special affinity with shy cats that need more immersive & specialized support, and fostering allows me to use my skills and education in a way where the cat gets the best possible care I can provide. 16 cats have come through our house so far, and it is extremely rewarding (albeit difficult), and a few of them have been longer term guests (6-8 months) who just needed a bit more time.
I love volunteering with CRAN because I feel well supported in my role as a foster of shy cats. I really appreciate that they really listen to me on what I think is best for the cat, and I am often asked to speak with potential adopters for my fosters because I know the cats best and can help suss out a good match.
We adopted our cat, Jadzia (née Olga) from CRAN and were impressed with their focus on matching the right cat with the right family, and I’m happy that hasn’t changed!”
From all of us, thank you so much for all you do for our CRAN kitties, and for being a terrific human being!
