How Cat Hustler was born

Two years after losing  the furry love of my life, everything changed when I forced myself to  start fostering for the local shelter.   An empty house felt like a commodity to be shared with an animal in need, and my heart wasn’t healing as it should .  My foster notes were well-received and became posts on the shelter’s public page,  and I was recruited to start writing bios for the cats on the adoption floor.  That first day of in-house volunteering was the start of something incredible.

Heath, my first foster cat was adopted, I met other volunteers that would become family, and my long-broken heart finally began to heal.  This day gave a sense of purpose to the horrific loss of my beloved Monkey.  The tears flowed hard as I thought “we did it, Boogiepig” the entire drive home. Though she passionately hated everything that moved, there was no better way to honor our bond than to facilitate the pairing of another girl and her cat. You can’t beat the thrill of sharing a new family’s joy. We even made #9 on Huffpo’s  16 Reasons Why Fostering A Shelter Pet Is Basically The Best Thing In The World!

This shove of the karmic wheel brought me out of prolonged mourning and into something that regularly keeps me up at night with excitement and projects.  Every cat is somebody’s Monkey, and I’ve found a source of endless joy in helping them find each other.

About the Author

I’m a 30-something living in Northern Virginia, working as an exploration geologist by day and hustling cats by night.

Sponsorships

Cat Hustler is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that is independent and unaffiliated, but interested in sponsorship, support, and partnerships that directly impact education & outreach events, and cat enrichment & welfare. Research, collaborations, and guest articles are also on my radar.

Acknowledgements

To Gina Ball (Rspatarella Design), whose patience and expertise have been a driving force in Cat Hustler’s success.