The Volunteer/Cat relationship - Candy Chen

While we were planning the 2016 calendar, we invited a couple of volunteers to submit photos. In the end we didn’t use the ones that Candy Chen submitted, but they’re beautiful, and I’d like to share some of them with you.

Candy says: 
I have been volunteering at the Sanctuary for around two years.  At first I volunteered in the RAPS thrift store, and a lot of volunteers there told me about the Sanctuary.  I'm currently a university student, working hard to get my degree. Right now, my life is filled with school and work so my Sanctuary time is precious.

Freckle - unusually fierce!

I do the back pens on Saturday mornings, but I’ve worked in most of the other areas of the Sanctuary as well.  I don't have cats at home. I really do want to have one but my families aren't the best with pets. I do have plans of getting one or two or more after I'm independent of my family!

Darwin

There are quite a few cats that I look for when I have time. The most special one to me is Kojak from Old AIDS (a lot of cats I know are special to me, but if I have to pick one, it would be Kojak). My very first shift in the Sanctuary was the Old AIDS area and Kojak took my eyes right when I was in the room. I believe it was his handsomeness that attracted me at first. After getting to know him, it really just his sweetness that made me adore him.

Kojak, in my opinion, isn't the easiest cat to get close to; his "coolness" made me really want to get close to him, so I guess this is also another reason why I try to spend a little time with him when I can.

Another cat I love is Puffin in the front courtyard. At first, it was his tail that really stood out to me. Then it was his "chest air" that attracted me. Lastly, I really like how he looks! I have heard about how Puffin bites, but he is just such a sweet cat (though I had been scratched by him before)! I love how he pushes his head against you (hand or chest) when he wants some pets.

My biggest wish for the Sanctuary and the cats is that someone really rich would suddenly want to spend a fortune on making the lives of some cats better :)

Candy and single-wide friends

Blog by Brigid Coult & Candy Chen

Photos by Candy Chen