A clipping from a news article, 26 June 2004
If you didn’t already know, I have been running Pussies Galore Rescue for about 24 years. I can’t even begin to count the number of cats I have rescued and re-homed. I have rarely visited a vet clinic in Brisbane (and I obviously go often) without knowing clients and their cats in the waiting rooms. Quite often their cats had been adopted from me.
Sometimes they had been customers of mine in the original Pussies Galore gift shop in Paddington which operated for 9 years. Pussies Galore Rescue and gift shop was a small affair, just me and a foster carer or two. I often linked in with other rescue groups as we were all for the same cause. The gift shop in Paddington was a great place for cat lovers to come in and surround themselves with all paraphernalia of the feline flavour. I joked that it was a shrine of worship. It was also a great way to showcase cats for adoption.
Slinky (left) and Sebastian (right) were adopted from Katina in 2004.
Slinky ‘unpacking’ his toys from Pussies Galore on the very first night at his new home June 14th 2004. He actually did take them out himself, perhaps to soothe himself.
With the birth of the Cat Cuddle Cafe, Pussies Galore Rescue exploded into a much larger organism. It attracted volunteers and many more foster carers. I needed good people to help me run it all and that I got. The amazing team now at the helm have taken the weight of my shoulders and made the whole thing run smoother. A shelter managing program was needed for the daily movements and treatments for all of the cats in care. ordinary spread sheets no longer cut it. This old dinosaur had to move into the technological era and enlist all manner of social media, web hosting, and programs for everything.
With the hundreds of adoptions since the CCC opened, you would think that we could hardly remember the kitties we adopted out in the first years but we remember them all. We often get updates from adopting families and the happy ever after stories are what keeps us going.
I recently had a visit in the CCC from someone who adopted from me almost 19 years ago. She wanted to tell me that her darling puss had passed on, aged 19. She was so loved and dearly missed.
Sebastian and Slinky are loving life now.
A few days ago a couple came in with a phone full of pictures of their very loved felines, adopted from me 14 years ago. As they did not use Facebook, I asked them to email some pictures. I had to share them with you. You may notice I have a rat on my hand in the picture that was published in the Brisbane News, 14 years ago. This little man came to me as a hairless jellybean when I was doing wildlife rescue. He was thought, at the time, to be a baby bandicoot. I think Snack will deserve a story of his own soon.
Katina
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