By Kristin Avery of myrescuedlife.com
“It’s not just about getting cats in homes, it’s about keeping them in homes,” says Lauren Rizzo, Executive Director of St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines. “A home is only a good home if both the cat and the adoptive family are happy with the match.”
St. Sophia’s Forgotten Felines is a mostly foster-based cat rescue in Westmont, Illinois. Founded in late 2010, St. Sophia’s maintains a small shelter where an average of 15 cats live onsite while another 250 live in foster homes. Most of their cats come from high-volume, open admission animal control facilities. Their largest partner is Chicago Animal Care & Control, but they also work with other shelters around suburban Chicago and northwest Indiana.
Quite simply, St. Sophia’s mission is to save cats from euthanasia and provide supportive temporary care for cats in transition. They usually rescue about 100 new cats per month, and in 2018 they adopted out over 1,000 cats!
“We recognize that many of the cats in our care are going to need extra work, both medical and behavioral,” says Lauren. “We want our cats to be confident and well-rounded, exposed to many different stimuli and environments so they are better prepared for a second chance in a new home.”
Lauren believes that participating in The Jackson Galaxy Project’s Cat Pawsitive Pro (CPP) will give their cats the extra boost they need to find new homes. She also believes the program will help volunteers and foster parents better understand and meet the needs of their foster cats – both of which will lead to more adoptions!
High Hopes for Cat Pawsitive Pro
St. Sophia’s participated in the Cat Pawsitive summer program and are thrilled to be back participating in this semester’s Cat Pawsitive Pro.
Their Team Leaders include Lauren Rizzo, Executive Director; Terri Hoshell, Foster & Grant Coordinator; Michelle Merritt, Foster Parent & Volunteer; and Yadira Dominguez, Assistant to the Director. In addition to the Team Leaders, there are currently ten volunteers signed up to participate in the training with many others interested.
Cat Pawsitive Pro Trainer-Mentor Lisa Stemcosky will lead the team, sharing new skills that will surely improve the lives of the cats in St. Sophia’s care. CPP has goals and milestones that team members and foster parents must meet to get their foster kitties ready for adoption. “It’s going to be intense, but these skills will not only help the cats they have now, but every cat that crosses their threshold in the future,” Lisa says.
Team Leader Michelle Merritt participated in the Cat Pawsitive summer program with her foster cat Reia. Michelle is excited to continue working with Reia as well as other long-term resident cats.
Michelle has been volunteering with St. Sophia’s for three years and fostering Reia for two years. Reia is an adorable 7-year-old black and white cat with some trust issues. Although she sometimes accepts pets, she’s still prone to biting and swatting and has a history of aggression with other cats.
“I know Reia is capable of being friendly and social,” Michelle says. “She just needs a little more socialization.”
The Team Leaders hope Cat Pawsitive Pro will benefit both cats ready for adoption as well as cats like Reia who need extra time and TLC. Lauren believes CPP will also benefit kennel volunteers who focus mostly on cleaning the shelter. She believes giving them the tools to socialize with the cats in a structured way (other than just cuddling) will boost overall morale and increase volunteer engagement.
“Volunteers will be able to see that they are having an impact on the cats and helping to increase adoptions, which will allow us to save more cats at risk of euthanasia in traditional shelters,” Lauren says.
Team Leader Terri Hoshell hopes the training will help Braeburn, a 2-year-old, semi-feral, tuxedo boy who loves cats and dogs but is still nervous around people. She hopes Braeburn might even learn to enjoy sitting in someone’s lap – maybe even her lap! Terri says seeing cats like Braeburn thrive and eventually find homes, is almost like winning the lottery!
YOU can improve the lives of cats at risk. Donate today to The Jackson Galaxy Project’s Cat Pawsitive Program and transform the places and people that support at-risk pets!
