Monthly Archives: April 2018

It Takes a Clowder*

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*Clowder = a group or cluster of cats.

When Karen Duncan and Maria Soroski founded VOKRA back in 2000 it was headquartered in the basement of Karen’s Victorian home in Kitsilano. The plan was to care for very young, mostly bottle-fed kittens and, as often happens, things didn’t go according to plan.

Karen & Maria with longtime volunteer Shelley

Back in the day, VOKRA had a “staff” of approximately 10 volunteers and averaged 150 rescues a year. By 2008, that number had increased to 800 cats and kittens and in 2014 that number jumped to more than 1,800. After finding loving homes for thousands of cats and kittens it was about time VOKRA moved out of Karen’s basement and got a new home of its own. So in 2014 we opened our Operations Centre.

Since opening the Operations Centre (a.k.a. Ops), VOKRA has been very lucky to have an amazing amount of truly dedicated volunteers join us and help save the lives of cats and kittens.

Volunteers at our Ops making sure kittens are flea-free

Today, VOKRA currently has more than 400 volunteers working hard either behind the scenes or at Ops. We also have more than 550 foster homes, currently fostering or available to foster.

Just at our Operations Centre alone, there are an average of 168 volunteers a week! Here’s a quick snapshot of what it takes to make Ops tick:

  • Cat Care, Operations Support and Maintenance – 125+ shifts per week.
  • Medical Team – 17 volunteers
  • Reception – 20+ shifts per week

Our Operations Centre is also very busy with a large number of fosters who pick up food/supplies/medications for their foster kitties.

There are also hundreds of VOKRA volunteers “behind the scenes” who make things happen. We currenlty have 261+ volunteers on 48 teams, including:

Our event volunteers are always out in the community

Volunteer Recruitment- Adoption Counsellors – Adoption Contracts – Foster Coordinators – New Foster – Homes Interviewers – Kitty Health Checks – Medical Research – Foster Kitty Vaccination – Cat Behaviourism – Monitoring Health in Foster Care – Post Adoption Health Support – Vet Lab Reports – Fundraising – Events – Volunteer Committee – Communications – Photography – Kitty Biographers – Finance – IT – Database Administration – Foster Website – Trapping – Barn Placement – Drivers – Southlands Barn (where elderly feral cats and disabled kitties live) – and more!!!!

There never seems to be a shortage of cats to rescue

Sometimes it seems like we’re all chasing our tails trying to keep up – we’ve grown in leaps and bounds and, at times, are still going through growing pains. But we’re all here for one thing – the kitties.

Thank you to each and every one of our special volunteers who are a member of the VOKRA clowder. We wouldn’t exist without your dedication and support. Each and every one of you make a difference in the lives of kitties each day.

We’re always looking for new volunteers! If you’re interested in volunteering, visit our website at vokra.ca/volunteer.

You Can Be A Hero Every Month!

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Timmy’s a handsome gentleman cat who came to us way back in 2012 after being rescued from a shelter.

Timmy’s diabetic which means he needs a shot of insulin twice a day to stay healthy. It’s very difficult to find someone willing to take on a kitty with health issues, so at some shelters cats like Timmy are often deemed “unadoptable” and end up being euthanized.

At VOKRA we believe every kitty deserves a chance at a happy, healthy life. Whether they’re kittens or adults, feral or tame, healthy or sick – we provide them all with the best care we can. But this does come at a cost.

If you’d like to help, the easiest way for you to provide steady support for the kitties in our care is by joining our monthly giving program.

By choosing to give a monthly gift to VOKRA, you’re providing consistent, reliable resources to help us handle any situation – whether it’s a kitten needing emergency medical care, a cat requiring insulin or a feral tom in need of a neuter.

One donation a month really adds up to a big difference in the life of a cat. Here’s the lifesaving difference you can make:


Will you help a kitty today by joining our monthly giving program?

Donations are processed automatically on the same day each month which helps you budget monthly and annually. And you can change, pause or stop your donation at any time by simply contacting us.

You can also make a one-time gift when you click here.

Timmy’s patiently waiting for a forever home. If you’re interested, you can learn more about him here. Thank you to Angela McConnell for Timmy’s portraits!

 

Daisy’s Happy Tail Ending

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Daisy’s a black beauty with cerebellar hypoplasia, which means she has a “wobbly walk” and a tendency to fall down, but otherwise is just like other cats. She enjoys the company of people, whether being brushed, pet or just relaxing on the couch. Despite her gentle nature, Daisy spent the first three and half years of her life in foster homes.

Trace is a cat lover who always had cats in the family home growing up. After receiving a promotion at work, she decided the perfect way to celebrate was to open up her home to a special needs cat. Trace arranged to meet Daisy in her foster home after viewing her profile on our website. During the visit, “Daisy leaned into me to steady herself and let me pet her,” said Trace. “I knew then that I wanted to take her home.”

Although shy at first, with time and patience Daisy slowly learned to trust Trace and embrace her new life as a pampered housecat. She loves playing with cloth measuring tapes and clean, empty pill bottles. Trace thinks Daisy likes the way the bottles move in unpredictable ways – just like her! She also loves sleeping in Trace’s lap or leaning her head on her palm with at least one foot on her person. “I think she feels safe that way,” Trace said. “It’s very cute.”

Daisy’s wobbly mechanics sometimes make mealtimes messy. Like a good cat mom, Trace keeps an eye on her so she doesn’t fall into her food. As a writer Trace spends several hours a day working on her computer, which makes Daisy a little jealous! She’s a vocal cat and not shy about voicing her displeasure at not being the center of attention.

We’re so glad Daisy was able to find such a doting, patient guardian in Trace. Thank you for opening up your home to a special needs kitty.

Trace said it best when she told us, “I like to think the universe was waiting for us to find each other. I love my new fur roommate.”

Would you like to share your Happy Tail? Email us at [email protected].

Volunteer of the Month – April 2018

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April showers may bring flowers, but they also bring us our Volunteer of the Month, Cynthia Reed!

Cynthia first started volunteering with VOKRA back in the summer of 2010 when we were still headquartered in co-founder Karen’s basement. Since then she’s witnessed the amazing growth of the organization and our move into a shiny new Operations Centre.

Within Cynthia’s first week of volunteering Karen, one of our master persuaders, had also talked her into fostering two small feral kittens.

“It was the height of kitten season and Karen’s basement was overflowing with kitties needing a home,” explains Cynthia. “How could I say no to Karen?”

Like many fosters, Cynthia “foster failed” on her first try and became a pet parent to fur-babies Tony and Cleo, who will be eight years old this month.

Cynthia has many memories of kitties she’s fallen in love with during her time volunteering with VOKRA. One of the cats who will stay in her heart forever is Chance the Wobbler, a cat with mobility issues who lived at Karen’s for a long time.

Jorge is patiently waiting for a new foster to come along

There’s also Charlie, who lived at Ops after being diagnosed with cancer, and Jorge, a sweet senior who is patiently waiting at the Centre for a new foster home. And there’s also Beamer, a blind and deaf kitten who Cynthia spent many hours playing with when he first arrived.

“There are way too many to count them all,” said Cynthia. “Everyone is special.”

Since VOKRA moved into our Operations Center, Cynthia has spent most of her cat care time in the T-N-R room.

“My experience with feral cats has been very rewarding and I have certainly learned a lot from (co-founder) Maria when helping her with some the wilder cats,” Cynthia explains. “I have done my best to adopt Maria’s calm and patient nature with the cats and now I look forward to caring for those ‘terrible’ cats other people might be afraid to approach.”

Cynthia goes on to say, “Being with VOKRA for so many years has given me the opportunity to work with and get to know some great people and I have been able to pass on what I have learned by mentoring several new volunteers.”

Volunteering for VOKRA has been a fantastic experience and I hope to be around for many years to come.

Cynthia  Reed

Thank you so much Cynthia for all your dedication to the kitties and the many, many hours you’ve spent volunteering. We truly appreciate your support and also hope you’ll be around for many years to come!

As a volunteer-driven non-profit, we clearly couldn’t do what we do without our extremely dedicated and hard working team of volunteers. Thank you to each and every one of you!

If you’re interested in volunteering with us visit our website at vokra.ca/volunteer.