“Everything CAT does is worthwhile, but I think the thing that matters most to me is that every cat finds a forever home where they’re safe, secure, and loved.”
Meet Kathy, a Meow Team member nearly since its inception. CAT’s monthly giving program, the Meow Team, started in 2009 and Kathy became a member in 2010, but has been supporting CAT’s work since 2007. Kathy has been a longtime CAT supporter because she loves cats, but she says it’s more than that. She says her cats have always been there for her, like family, in difficult times. Kathy and her cats share unconditional love and she’s come to think of them as her best friends. Her relationship with her cats is what led her to support CAT’s lifesaving programs nearly 20 years ago. Read on to find out more about Kathy and her cats’ story.
CAT: What makes you feel connected to the work you’re supporting?
Kathy: I feel like CAT is much more personal and connected to supporters and adopters (and the cats of course) than larger charities. Heather Miller remembered me as the person who adopted Tikka and Honey (they’d been at CAT for about a year, and I’m guessing they were hard to place because they weren’t really socialized), and she sent a personal email to let me know that she was resigning. I really like that kind of personal communication with supporters (and the personal connection with the cats of course!). I don’t think that happens with very many charities.
CAT: How do you prefer to hear about the impact of your gift?
Kathy: Email. I like the stories about the cats who find homes and the people who give them homes.
CAT: What could we do to make you feel even more appreciated as a monthly donor?
Kathy: I don’t really know! I already feel more appreciated by CAT than by any other organizations I donate to. For now, I’ll just say that CAT does an amazing job of making donors feel appreciated and feel like CAT is really interested in us as donors as well as people and pet owners and what we think and feel.
CAT: If you were talking to a friend about why you give monthly, what would you tell them?
Kathy: I’d tell them that I haven’t encountered very many charities that make the effort to have a personal connection with their donors and supporters, but CAT is one of them. That doesn’t mean that I don’t donate to other charities that aren’t so personal and connected to their supporters as CAT. Because of that connection, if I could only donate to one charity, it would be CAT.
CAT: Tell us about your cats.
Kathy: I’ve had Tikka and Honey for about 6 years (they’re the only animals I have), and like I said they weren’t very socialized. Other cats I’ve had warmed right up to me and to other people, but with Tikka and Honey it’s taking a lot of time. Honey pretty much trusts me now; she sleeps with me every night and comes to be petted now and then (she sometimes even tolerates being picked up), but Tikka is still wary. It took years before she would sleep on the bed with me close enough that I could touch her. I don’t touch her though because that would probably put us back at square one. It’s really heartwarming to see how close they are to each other; they’re together— or at least near each other— most of the time. It’s okay that they’re taking a long time to warm up to me. It makes me feel good that I can give them a home where they can learn to feel safe, and that they are gaining trust in me (even if it’s slow).
Our Meow Team members make an unparalleled difference to CAT— thank you to those of you that are part of our team. If you’d like to join the monthly giving program and become a Meow Team Member, see our website for more information.
