2026: What a Year, What a Ride, and What a Lot of Cats!
An End-of-Year Message from Jenn Hutchman,
Executive Director
Well, here we are. Another year in the books. And somehow, we survived.
The cats survived. The humans survived. My sanity is still up for debate.
If you had told me years ago that I would spend my days managing a nonprofit, overseeing construction of a medical building, coordinating veterinary care, fundraising, answering approximately 47 million questions, and discussing the bowel movements of cats with grown adults, I probably would have laughed.
Yet here I am. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Well, maybe a vacation. A real one. Where nobody calls me about cat poop.
We Didn't Just Grow. We Roared.
2026 has been an incredible year for Furry Friends Cat Rescue.
We have continued growing, expanding our programs, strengthening our community partnerships, and helping more cats than ever before.
And we did it the Furry Friends way: with determination, creativity, compassion, a little stubbornness, and probably more caffeine than any medical professional would recommend.
We took in cats that others couldn't help. Cats with complicated medical conditions. Cats from hoarding situations. Tiny kittens who needed round-the-clock care. Senior cats who had been forgotten. Street cats with big heads, battle scars, and absolutely no intention of following the rules.
We loved every single one of them.
Even the ones who tried to bite us.
Especially the ones who tried to bite us.
Every cat deserves a chance
Because at Furry Friends, we believe that an animal's worth isn't determined by its age, appearance, medical condition, or how easy it is to care for.
Every cat deserves a chance. Not just the cute ones. Not just the healthy ones. Every single one.
We Built Something Bigger Than Ourselves
One of our greatest accomplishments this year has been watching our medical building become a reality.
What started as an idea, a dream, and probably a few people wondering whether I had completely lost my mind has become an actual building.
With walls. And doors. And sidewalks.
Actual sidewalks! If you've ever dealt with construction permits, you understand why sidewalks deserve their own celebration.
But this building represents so much more than concrete and lumber.
It represents a future where we can provide more accessible veterinary care, expand spay and neuter services, reduce suffering, and help address the root causes of feline overpopulation.
We created two videos in October 2026 that show you what is going on with the medical building.
The video showing a time-lapse from the beginning of construction may be viewed here: https://youtu.be/4lTteJs9KEc
The video of the interior showing where we propose to put the furnishings may be seen here: https://youtu.be/DjboVHQ5H_o
And here's something I'm especially proud of.
We built this through the generosity of our community, without taking on debt.
No enormous loans hanging over our heads. Just people who believed in what we were doing and stepped forward to help make it happen.
That's powerful.
It proves that when a community believes in a mission, incredible things are possible.
The Cats Who Reminded Us Why We Do This
This year brought stories that broke our hearts and stories that put them back together.
We met cats who had experienced unimaginable neglect. Kittens fighting infections before they had even experienced the world. Seniors who deserved comfort and kindness after years of being overlooked.
Some needed surgeries. Some needed months of treatment. Some needed patience, safety, and someone willing to believe they were worth saving.
And sometimes, despite everything we do, we lose them.
Those are the moments that never get easier.
People often see the happy adoption pictures. The adorable kittens. The funny social media posts.
They don't always see the sleepless nights, the emergency vet visits, the difficult decisions, or the tears shed behind closed doors.
But those moments are part of rescue, too.
And they make every recovery, every purr, every playful kitten, and every adoption that much more meaningful.
We cannot save every cat. But we can make sure that every cat we help knows compassion.
That matters.
Behind Every Successful Rescue Is a Slightly Exhausted Group of Humans
I want to talk about our people.
Our staff, volunteers, fosters, board members, donors, veterinary partners, and supporters.
You are the reason Furry Friends exists.
We have a very small paid staff doing the work of what sometimes feels like an entire corporation. Except instead of corporate retreats, we have litter boxes. And instead of quarterly bonuses, we occasionally get peed on.
Our staff routinely go above and beyond, often volunteering their own time because they genuinely care about these animals.
Our volunteers give their evenings, weekends, and precious free time.
Our fosters open their homes and hearts, sometimes to kittens who believe 3 a.m. is the ideal time to practice parkour.
Our donors make it possible for us to say yes when an animal desperately needs help.
And our community continues to show up.
I see you. I appreciate you. And I know how much you give.
You are not just helping a rescue. You are changing lives.
Growth Isn't Always Pretty
Now, I would love to tell you that every part of 2026 went perfectly.
That everyone agreed on everything, every new process worked immediately, and every cat took its medication without a fight.
But I also believe in telling the truth.
Growth is messy.
Sometimes things don't go according to plan. Sometimes we have to change policies, restructure responsibilities, make difficult decisions, and admit that something needs improvement.
Sometimes those decisions aren't popular.
And that's okay.
Leadership isn't about making everyone happy. It's about doing what is right for the organization, the animals, and the mission we have committed ourselves to.
We have learned a lot this year.
We have strengthened procedures, improved medical processes, expanded training, and started building teams that will allow us to operate more efficiently.
Not because we were failing, but because an organization that continues to grow must also continue to evolve.
I don't want Furry Friends to be the organization that says, "Well, we've always done it that way." I want us to be the organization that asks, "How can we do it better?"
And then actually does it.
Even if it means another spreadsheet.
We Are More Than a Cat Rescue
Something I have always believed is that animal welfare doesn't exist in a bubble.
Behind many animals in need is a person who is struggling, a family facing hardship, or a community lacking resources.
Sometimes helping an animal means helping the person who loves them.
That is why we continue working to expand access to spay and neuter services, support families facing veterinary expenses, provide pet food assistance, and collaborate with other organizations.
I don't believe animal rescues should be competing to see who can save the most cats or get the most recognition.
There are enough animals suffering for all of us to have more work than we could ever want.
We accomplish more when we work together than when we compete against one another.
And I will continue advocating for collaboration, compassion, and common-sense solutions that put animal welfare ahead of politics, egos, and organizational boundaries.
Because the cats certainly don't care whose logo is on the building.
They just want to be safe.
And fed.
Mostly fed.
A Personal Reflection
On a personal note, this year has taught me a lot about leadership, resilience, and myself.
I have always been someone who sees a problem and immediately wants to fix it.
Sometimes that means taking on more than I should. Sometimes it means worrying about things that haven't even happened yet. And sometimes it means lying awake at night mentally reorganizing the entire rescue.
I'm working on that.
Apparently, "just relax" is not an actual instruction my brain understands.
But I have also learned that I don't have to do everything myself.
Strong leadership isn't measured by how much one person can carry. It's measured by what we can build together.
I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished.
And I'm learning that it's okay to say that out loud.
I am proud.
· Proud of our team.
· Proud of our volunteers.
· Proud of the lives we've saved.
· Proud of the medical building we have worked so hard to create.
· Proud that a grassroots organization founded on compassion continues to grow into something that can make a lasting difference in our community.
· And proud that through every challenge, we have stayed true to why we started.
· To help cats who need us.
It's really that simple.
Looking Ahead to 2027
If you think we're slowing down, you clearly haven't met me.
We have big plans.
Our medical building will open new opportunities for lifesaving care. We will continue developing our volunteer teams, expanding community partnerships, strengthening our programs, and finding better ways to support both animals and the people who care for them.
We will keep advocating for accessible veterinary services, responsible animal welfare policies, and a community where fewer cats are born into suffering.
We will keep taking on difficult cases.
We will keep finding solutions.
We will probably keep finding cat hair in places cat hair should never be.
And we will keep moving forward.
Not because the work is easy.
But because it matters.
One Last Thing...
To everyone who supported Furry Friends this year, whether you donated thousands of dollars, fostered a litter of kittens, cleaned a litter box, shared an adoption post, volunteered at an event, or simply believed in us:
Thank you.
You helped create something extraordinary.
I hope you take a moment to recognize that.
Because sometimes, in the chaos of rescue, we get so focused on the next emergency that we forget to celebrate what we've already accomplished.
So, let's celebrate.
Let's celebrate the lives saved, the families made whole through adoption, the friendships formed, the challenges overcome, and the future we're building.
And let's remember that even the smallest acts of kindness can create enormous change.
One cat. One person. One act of compassion at a time.
We may be a small organization, but we are doing mighty things.
And if 2026 taught me anything, it's that you should never underestimate a determined group of cat people.
Especially when they're led by a woman who doesn't understand the meaning of "maybe we should slow down."
Here's to 2027.
More lives saved. More barriers broken. More compassion. More teamwork.
And, with any luck, fewer emergency phone calls about poop.
With love, gratitude, and probably cat hair on my clothes,
Jenn
Jenny Valencia and Jenn Hutchman created a video that was shown at the in-person auction. We think they did a fabulous job showing what Furry Friends is all about. You can view the video here https://youtu.be/btQsAfML7ok
About Furry Friends
Furry Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill cat rescue dedicated to helping cats and kittens in Southwest Washington and surrounding communities. Since its founding in 1999, Furry Friends has helped thousands of cats find loving homes while providing rescue, medical care, rehabilitation and support to cats in need.
To learn more about Furry Friends, visit furryfriendswa.org or email information@furryfriendswa.org.