Exciting changes are ahead for Flower Feline Sanctuary in 2025. My mother Geri and I shared a passion for helping kitties who had every strike against them - the seniors, the shy and under socialized, the cats who needed expensive dentals or cancer surgery. We founded the sanctuary in 2019 and in our years on Camano Island, we were able to not only care for 30+ permanent resident kitties on average but also foster countless others who went on to find a loving home. We strived to make a difference for cats in the community by working local TNR (trap/neuter/return) sites, removing adoptable cats and kittens and providing food and medical care for the feral cats. We taught classes on feline behavior and nutrition with our friend Nancy Howard, founder of Feral Care and the Whole Cat & Kaboodle in Kirkland. We also had a lot of fun meeting like minded folks and so many amazing felines.
Sadly, Geri passed in 2023, shortly before her 89th birthday. I’m reminded everyday of my mother’s compassion and generosity, and plan to continue her legacy of helping animals. A few month after my mother’s death, I lost a dear friend who was also a regular sanctuary volunteer and probably our biggest cheerleader. Alex was literally the first person to hand me a donation when I told her about our plans to found a sanctuary. Like my mom, Alex spent her adult life caring for others, and both of these incredible women inspire me to keep trying to make the world a better place for cats. I believe that Flower Feline Sanctuary can have a bigger impact and help more kitties by changing our mission and goals. The word sanctuary can mean a physical location offering safety, but it can also be figurative. It is bittersweet that we are leaving Camano Island and will not be taking in any new kitties for the foreseeable future. There are however, other ways Flower Feline Sanctuary will be working behind the scenes to help cats throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
There are several ways in which I envision expanding our reach: One is by supporting micro rescues with small grants, especially those doing the physically demanding and emotionally draining work of TNR of community cats. Spay/neuter addresses the root of overpopulation, and preventing litters will always be easier than trying to find homes for cats, especially for kitties who are not suited to be house cats. With other board members volunteering their skills, we can also offer these grassroots organizations assistance with website writing and development if they desire. Small grants may also be applied for when rescues have kitties in need of medical care that may be out of their budget, in order to get these kitties healthy and into loving homes. Because “super seniors,” felines in their late teens, have a special place in my heart and are frequently overlooked or euthanized in traditional shelters, I hope to eventually develop a foster program where these kitties can live out their lives in warmth and comfort.
So much has changed in the five years since Geri and I founded Flower Feline Sanctuary. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m grateful for all the people and kitties who came into my life when I needed them most. We can only move forward with love and light; I look forward to the next chapter in my life and my life’s work of helping cats.
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