1st Day

Yesterday was probably the longest day of my life but because it was my first shift at the DSPCA, it was all worth it. Let me tell you guys, I couldn't think of anything more valuable to do with my lack of spare time than what I had the pleasure of doing yesterday. 

When I arrived, that typical nervous feeling hit because I didn't really know what I was up against but that quickly dissipated when I made my way into the cattery department of the DSPCA. Arriving for the afternoon shift, I met with a couple of volunteers who gave me a quick rundown of what happens on the different shifts and what I can expect to be doing. The day shift is responsible for cleaning out all of the cat pods thoroughly and setting them back up with food, water, litter, and toys. The afternoon shift you ask? Cat companion.

You heard that right guys, my job was literally to open the cages, get to know the cats, and pet / love them. Our goal is to give the cats affection and continue their progress with human interaction. Quite literally, petting, playing, cuddling, and loving cats. I was immediately elated because guys, this is something I am extremely good at. I made my way through the cattery taking note of the different cats / kittens available and trying to get a feel for their personalities just by looking at them which was super easy for me. Cats are funny to me because I've always had a good connection with them, even the ones that people say are super shy or testy, not with me they're not lol

So my first task was meeting the cattery's only kitten as the kittens typically adopt quickly. I ripped that beautiful kitten out of its pod and cradled it right away. As my heart melted, I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the cats had the, "I found a home" sign meaning they were already adopted, which was a wonderful feeling. I was especially happy because there was this grumpy looking beautiful boy that had a touch of the cat flu and was between 8 and 10 years old which unfortunately, works against his odds of being adopted, and I saw the sign on his pod too. It always warms my heart to see even the hardest sells for adoption en route to a new home. He was my favourite to cuddle, he seemed so appreciative of human interaction despite his illness and grumpy appearance.

Ultimately, this was one of the best days I could've asked for. I had to do a little cleaning, a few litters, a pod or two to tear down in preparation for a new arrival, but for the most part I cuddled cats. Can you imagine anything better than this?

I am going to work up the courage to move to the dog department. I wouldn't say I was as scared of dogs as I was years ago especially after my sister and her gigantic, terrifying (on first impression) dog moved in with us. I was so scared of him until I got to meet him and realized he was a gigantic sucky baby who loved belly rubs and kisses which I smothered him with regularly. My only hesitation is my lack of experience as our tasks include walking the dogs and I have very little experience with that. My fear is that one of the larger ones will pull away from me but I have to stop letting anxiety interfere with my goal of helping animals. I'm determined to do this but for now, I'll continue smothering cats with lovins ;)

HAPPY VEG