“I have been volunteering with Furry Friends for the past three years,” Catrice says. “When I moved from Oregon, the shelter where I then volunteered recommended that I volunteer for you.”

“After moving to Vancouver in June of 2024 and getting established, I learned about Furry Friends,” says Dawn. “I picked up a foster kitty from them on October 5, 2025 for a month, then decided that my time would be better spent at the Halfway House.

“I have been volunteering with Furry Friends since September of 2024,” Shelly says.
“I saw a post asking for Sunday morning volunteers. I don’t usually have any plans at that time and because I love cats, I responded to the post. The happy result: I spend two hours every Sunday helping clean the cat rooms, provide the cats with fresh food and water and then cuddle with them. Without question, my favorite part about volunteering is cuddling with the kitties!

“I have been fostering kitties for Furry Friends since January of 2025,” says Kris. “Prior to that, I had been a foster for 6 months with the Cowlitz County Humane Society until they were taken over, moving all of the cats to Vancouver while they remodeled the shelter. I had heard wonderful things about Furry Friends and wanted to come onboard.

“I started volunteering with Furry Friends in March of 2025,” says Greg. “I had lost my beloved Siamese kitty Levon in December of 2024 (I say ‘mine’ because no one else could touch him), and my wife said, ‘no more cats.’

“I have been with Furry Friends since November 2023,” says Teresa. “I had been volunteering at the local animal shelter and decided it wasn’t very personable -- cleaning, caring and socialization were rushed. Looking for an organization that had a meaningful mission and purpose, I found Furry Friends whose wonderful, caring people fulfill their mission. 

“I have been volunteering with Furry Friends for more than a year now,” says Jon. “In fact, a good friend of mine actually recommended Furry Friends to me. 

“I have been volunteering with Furry Friends for about a year and a half, and my daughter Ingrid has been volunteering for close to one year,” Soren says. “We both remember the first cats who made impressions on us when we started: Wrangler for me and Tobi for Ingrid!

“I have been volunteering as a foster with Furry Friends since December 2025,” Jess says. “I got involved because I wanted to be a foster for a small organization, and I thought all of the cats at Furry Friends were ADORABLE!

“I have been volunteering as a kitten foster for Furry Friends since September of 2022,” says Robin.

“To say it’s a 24/7 paws-ition is truly an understatement … lol. My favorite part about being a foster is experiencing all of the different kitten personalities and just simply having fun with them. My biggest challenge is when I have litters of three or more. I really have my hands full then!

“I started volunteering at Furry Friends in December of 2024,” Amanda says. “In fact, my first shift was the Tuesday PM shift on Christmas Eve. I had unexpectedly lost most of my possessions as well as my job, money was tight, and my partner and I couldn’t afford to visit family for the holidays. My senior cat’s health was rapidly declining and I needed something positive to occupy my mind and my time.   

“I just started volunteering with Furry Friends in January 2026,” Alina says. “I was looking for cat rescues to volunteer for in my area and this was one of the first I found.

“I began volunteering with Furry Friends in March 2025,” says Jen. “After the Presidential election, I was feeling down and I wanted to do something that would potentially make me feel better, while allowing me to make a positive contribution. Because I love cats, I started looking for local volunteer opportunities and found Furry Friends. I was drawn to their mission and impressed that the rescue’s been so successful for so long and powered by so many volunteers. 

“I’ve been a Furry Friends foster for the last year, and have cared for 24 kittens and two mamas so far,” says Misty Ray (also known as Misty Rae O’Sunshine on FB).

“I had a beautiful 21-year career in the Air Force, and after a few random jobs, I was struggling to find a purpose that satisfied me as much as serving my country. After pondering the idea of starting my own rescue, it became more about how I could assist local rescues with the issue of cat overpopulation. I subsequently reached out to Furry Friends to see how I could help, and I’m so happy I did.

“I’ve been volunteering with Furry Friends since November 2022,” says Cindy. “It’s been such a rewarding and joyful experience.

“I found Furry Friends while I was recovering from a traumatic hiking accident that almost took my life and shifted everything for me. It gave me a fresh perspective and made me realize how important it is to go after the things I truly care about. I’ve always had a special love for cats, and even dreamed of one day running a cat sanctuary or rescue. While I was getting back on my feet, I made a promise to myself: no more waiting for the ‘right time.’ Life’s too short.

Today we remember our dear friend and fellow Furry Friends volunteer Linda Rader. Linda has crossed over the rainbow bridge to be with all the cats that she has saved and loved in her lifetime. She gives new meaning to the term “everyday hero.” While some might call her a crazy cat lady, we, at Furry Friends, call her an angel.

 Linda retired from her job and immediately joined Furry Friends in 2001, two years after our founding as our first Adoption Coordinator. She handled the intake of all the cats, coordinated their care, interviewed potential adopters, oversaw those cats in foster homes, and handled each cat’s adoption.

“I have volunteered with Furry Friends for about a year,” says Donna. “I got involved when I started looking for a tuxedo cat to keep my current cat company. Fortunately, I found Neptune on the Furry Friends website and fell in love both with her and the shelter.

“I have volunteered with Furry Friends for a little over three years,” Caitlin says. 
“When my beloved cat of 18 years Licorice passed away, it was a dark time for me. I was also suffering from some health issues, and to help cheer me up, I would often visit pet stores to look at the cats. One day when I was doing just that, I suddenly realized that I wanted to work with cats. I’ve loved them my entire life, and yet it had never occurred to me to work with them. After doing some research, I found Furry Friends, and the rest is history!

“I’ve been volunteering with Furry Friends since 2009,” Natasha says. “I’m the shift lead for the Sunday night shift at the Halfway House. I started volunteering because I wanted to give back to the community in a way that involved caring and advocating for animals.

“I have volunteered with Furry Friends since August 2024,” Bonnie says. “After losing our sweet orange tabby in April, our house felt so empty. In June, I decided to investigate options to help at the Humane Society since we weren’t quite ready to adopt. In the process, I came across a posting for Furry Friends and their need for volunteers and fosters. I decided to apply, received a response the same day, and before I knew it, I was saying ‘yes’ to fostering five eight-week-old kittens!