Who Came First?

This post is written by DCIN's fantastic transport coordinator, Claudia Keating and I can't thank her enough for such an honest piece about something that is heart breaking in rescue.

I have an amazing job.  It doesn't pay the bills, or put food on the table (aside from the fact that I am the one cooking it), but it is a job that nourishes my heart.  I am a mama.  I am raising empathic, compassionate, loving children.  My cats are helping me do that.

Charlie and Lorelei 

I have 2 beautiful babies and 2 wonderful cats.  The cats came first.  My husband adopted Charlie when we started dating 11 years ago.  Darla came along the following year.  For 9 years it was just us and the cats, and then we began adding humans to the brood.  While I was pregnant with my daughter I worried about how the transition would be for the cats.  They already disliked each other, how would they feel about a baby?  Many mainstream parenting books touch on the topic of bringing babies into a home with pets, and boy was I shocked to learn that apparently people still believe the old wives’ tale that “cats steal the breath from babies”!  People actually think that a cat will want to sleep on top of a baby for their warmth….never mind the fact that babies cry, snort, flail, and fuss!  I’ve met very few loyal dogs who were tolerant enough to willingly spend time close to a newborn, much less cats!  

Is This Microphone On?

Sam

Seriously, can anyone hear me?  That's what I feel like sometimes.  I'm on stage, I'm talking away and I hear nothing from the audience except for some crickets chirping, maybe someone's cell phone just rang, a few throats being cleared and that's it, a silence that is louder than my voice.  Of course I'm not really on stage, I'm not giving a lecture or telling some fascinating story to an audience. I'm just here; working to try to make a difference for diabetic cats and their people.

Am I making a difference?   Any difference?