Long-time Cat Adoption Team volunteer Sue Freeman started feeding and caring for cats at the shelter 20 years ago. Nowadays, she helps with both surgery prep in the hospital and bio-writing for our shelter cats’ online profiles. And with her insurance industry expertise, Sue has helped out the management and board with decoding policy parlance in the past.
CAT: Do you have any pets? What can you tell us about them?
Sue: I am totally in love with the two adorable and hopelessly spoiled cats we got from CAT as kittens in March 2020 at the beginning of the Covid craziness. They are a brother and sister and the best of friends. Life doesn’t get any better than relaxing in a recliner while being totally submerged in a good scary novel with my cats, Cammie and Hunter, sleeping on my lap.
CAT: Besides a cat, what’s your favorite animal?
Sue: Probably anything in the cat family, such as a tiger, lion or serval. It’s all about cats, cats, cats.
CAT: What advice would you give to somebody interested in getting involved in animal welfare?
Sue: I’d say “follow your heart,” then try to keep my big mouth shut, as everyone needs to make their own decisions about their own lives. But, knowing me, I’d probably open it again long enough to tell them what a difference they could make for so many tiny but important little furry lives.
CAT: What do you enjoy most about your role at Cat Adoption Team?
Sue: The way it makes me feel about myself. I like to think that in my own small way I’ve made life a little more pleasant for some of the cats at the shelter, and maybe made an impact as part of the large team working to get them into loving homes. Helping those cats makes me happy. It’s as simple as that.
CAT: If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Sue: I’d like to have the ability to wave a magic wand to turn meanness into kindness. Sometimes it seems we all need a wake-up call to be kinder and more considerate to others. Oh, and if that wand caused the user to perhaps look a little younger and ten pounds lighter while performing that super-power? Well, you wouldn’t hear any complaints from me.
CAT: What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Sue: Don’t give advice to friends unless they ask for it.
CAT: If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach?
Sue: I’d teach a class on creating and baking gluten-free desserts. I’m gluten and dairy intolerant and have no business eating all that sugar, but I do enjoy baking. I think teaching would be a great outlet along with a fun way to explore new recipes. Plus, I could send all the goodies home with the students so I wouldn’t overindulge in the sugar!
CAT: Would you rather be the funniest or smartest person in the room?
Sue: That’s an easy one. The funniest, of course. Heck, I’m retired, so I don’t need to bore anyone with brains! I’d much rather make people laugh.
CAT: What is your go-to karaoke anthem?
Sue: Are you kidding me? With my voice? Although I love to sing, I have one of the worst singing voices of anyone I’ve ever known. Really. Not singing in public is my contribution to reducing world noise pollution.
CAT: If you could instantly learn any language, what would it be?
Sue: I’d love to speak cat. Is that a language? My cats and I communicate pretty well, but wouldn’t it be marvelous to ask them questions like ‘why’ or ‘how’ and actually get a response? One of my cats feigns deafness to the word ‘no,’ and I’d love to have a little conversation with him about that!
CAT: Could you share a weird or wild fact you know?
Sue: Scotland’s national animal is a unicorn, which is a holdover from the 15th century. I think that’s fantastic. I remember recently a six-year-old California girl sent a letter to Los Angeles County asking for permission to keep a unicorn in her backyard. She was granted a license and had to promise if she found one to give it access to things like sunlight, rainbows and watermelon. This is the kind of stuff that makes my heart happy.
Sue’s dedication and long-time support is the kind of thing that makes our hearts happy. If we knew how to handout rainbows, we’d give her one for sure!
