Volunteer of the Month - January 2023
This month we are celebrating Mary Levesque!
After saying goodbye to her rainbow kitties, Mary and her husband began their journey as foster parents in our VOKRA family. Mary and Kal not only foster here in Vancouver, but continue to spread their love for felines while they travel around the world. Read through our interview with Mary and don’t miss out on supporting her jewelry collection. 5% of her sales from Jewels for Kittehs supports our fundraising efforts.
Hear Mary’s story in her own words:
Q: How did you start volunteering with VOKRA?
My two beloved cats, Runners and Hobbies, were with me from kittens until their passing at ages 14 and 16 years respectively.
Although I missed the pitter patter of kitty paws around my home (and due to the constant travel for work, plus the commitment of another 15 - 20 years of owning another pet), my husband and I thought it best to go the route of fostering instead of getting another kitty of our own. That's when I reached out to VOKRA to offer my volunteering services. After a quick questionnaire and a brief conversation with a VOKRA volunteer, I was bestowed my first batch of kittens in Nov. 2013.
To say that I maxed out my phone's storage from taking so many pictures of these kittens is a total understatement.
Q: How long and in what capacity have you been volunteering?
Come this November, I will have been volunteering for VOKRA for 10 years! Twenty six batches of foster kittens to date, totalling over 100+ Mommy cats and their kittens. My capacity has simply been to care for kittens from the age of newborn to adoption age (between 8 - 12 weeks old).
I also help out other VOKRA fosters with administering medication and performing manicures/pedicures, as I have years of experience executing these procedures with my own fosters and pets.
Q: What is your favourite part of volunteering?
Simply this: I have (or could have) kittens in my home ALL-YEAR-ROUND. The sheer joy that I experience from raising a batch of kittens to adoption age is insurmountable. I am a very hands-on, cuddle-till-you-drop, kiss-them-incessantly kind of foster Mom. I have 6 siblings, 5 nephews and 1 niece that are the same way. So, when they find out that I have a new batch of foster kittens, they all descend upon my home and give the kittens added cuddles and kisses. This is a great way to socialize the kittens and get them used to being man-handled by different people and small children.
Q: Do you have a favourite kitty(s) you have met or a favourite story from your time with VOKRA?
All my foster kittens/Mommy cats had their own distinctive personalities that made them adorable and sweet, but two kitties stand out from the 100+ fosters that have come through my home.
The first one is Hamimelon (now called "Blaze"):
Hamimelon (and her whole batch) did not meow. When they tried to meow, it just sounded like a snake hissing. It was the most unusual thing. Hamimelon was so easy going, loved to cuddle and would tolerate any kind of affection/attention from little hands constantly grasping and groping her. I adored her.
The second kitty is Mama Pasta. Her new family decided to keep her foster name, so she's stilled called Mama Pasta to this day!
This beauty came to me at a spice level of 10. It took me approximately two weeks of constant interaction and talking to her to get her down to a manageable spice level where I could pet her and her kittens. I was even able to give her a manicure so that I didn't suffer the wrath of her sudden smacks against my hands.
In the end, she turned out to be the cuddliest Mommy cat ... always demanding that I pick her up, carry her over my shoulder and lavish her with love. She would lounge around in bed with me for hours on those lazy days when I didn't have a lot of work to do. I miss her adorable face immensely.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
I have a terrible memory, so to help keep track of all the foster kitties that have come through my home, I have an Instagram page (@fostering_kittehs) and a blog to keep everything organized. I also make jewelry in my spare time and have an IG page @jewels.for.kittehs where I donate 5% of sales to animal rescue organizations. Since I have been travelling so much, I haven't had that much time to devout to jewelry making for the kitties, but I'm hoping when I am home for a longer period of time, I can start that up again.
I still get my cat fix while travelling as my husband and I pet sit wherever we go during our travel adventures (IG @miracle.sitters) and even help out local rescue organizations in cities and countries that we're travelling to. My husband even started an Instagram page of all the kitties that we've encountered throughout our time abroad (@worldwide_meows).
Taking care of animals plays a big part in our lives, whether we are at home or overseas. We love what we do and hope to continue working with VOKRA and other rescue organizations for as long as we are physically able to.