Amanda Caraway : Volunteer Spotlight
“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 began searching for places to volunteer and stumbled upon Furry Friends on Facebook. What could be more perfect than volunteering at a cat shelter? I’m now a substitute PM shift volunteer and a socializer for an hour each week, which fits well with my new work schedule. To say that I love being a socializer is truly an understatement! Cats are precious angels, and mine have always helped me when I’ve been sad and struggling. The least I can do is be there for other cats who need human compassion.
“My greatest challenge is not being able to adopt every cat I fall in love with! But what I love most is seeing the feral male cats with all of their ‘battle wounds’ and ‘posturing’ become affectionate and trusting of humans so that they can find their forever homes. I’ve watched so many alpha cats become smooshy love muffins who can’t get enough affection.
“As to why I give back? A friend told me that when you’re struggling, focus on giving to others. I was struggling, and Furry Friends allowed me to focus on sweet babies who have more reason than I do to be unhappy and angry with the world. If they could forgive and forge ahead, so could I. The issue I’m particularly passionate about is eliminating hate and cruelty in the world. We humans can learn a lot from cats.
“Sadly, my senior cat, Troilus, passed away shortly after I started volunteering for Furry Friends. But my fluffy gray kitty, Serafina, and my little orange dingdog, Hector, helped me get through it -- along with the many kitties at Furry Friends.
“While my day job is in content marketing and copywriting, I’m also a playwright, actor, director, podcaster and nonfiction writer who loves to read.”
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Furry Friends Volunteer Spotlights are compiled and written by Nomi Berger who is the bestselling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry, and hundreds of articles. She is a volunteer writer for Furry Friends in Vancouver, WA and also volunteers her writing skills to animal rescue groups in Canada and the USA.
