A day in the Life of a KAR

Cat Carer — Kimber and A

FAMILY AFFAIR

Kim Betts brings us the story of KAR Cat Carer — Kimber and A FAMILY AFFAIR
Kyrenia Animal Rescue (KAR)…..

We began volunteering for KAR in June of 2015. We became aware of KAR with the successful arrival of our kitty, Fifi, from the United States – KAR arranged her arrival a year before. Both loving cats, my daughter Ayla and I knew we wanted to get involved, but the question was how…. Then the emails started coming. KAR needed help at the rescue centre. The school year ended and I reached out to the KAR team. We became the cat people on Sundays.

Volunteering at the center is not easy but it is fabulously rewarding. We are responsible for the cleaning, feeding, treating (and loving) of all the cats at the facility. We return home each week covered in fur and sweat and a few love scratches. Gradually, personalities emerged. We would come home with stories and full of love for the cats. My husband was used to hearing

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe what the calico did today!”
“One of the cats hugged me today!”
“I went in to pet one of the cats and suddenly they were all over me. I couldn’t pet them enough”
“You really should join us!”

Finally, he relented. Afif started coming with us. We established our routine feeding, emptying and cleaning kitty litter boxes, sweeping and mopping the enclosures, feeding again.

Afif began photographing the cats. They became part of us – part of our family. As a family we love coming to KAR.

KAR has done an amazing job with the cats. With limited resources, the facility is clean and the cats are loved and well cared for. The cats all get along.

We have seen very sick kittens nurtured back to health. We have also had some sadness and loss. Unfortunately, the facility can’t help all cats. Yet, they do what they can.

We look forward to every day we spend with our cats at KAR. It is truly a difficult job that we have come to love!!!!