Your names, your rescue’s name, and your titles at the rescue?
Lana Bajsel, Give Me Shelter Cat Rescue, Director
Michele Blunt, Give Me Shelter Cat Rescue, San Francisco Adoptions
Number of years involved with animal rescue?
Twenty years
You rescue’s contact information?
Lana at 415-810-7284, Michele at 415-283-9895, or info@GiveMeShelterSF.org and GiveMeShelterSF.org
Upcoming events?
An adoption event takes place each Saturday and Sunday at our three locations: Petco on Sloat Boulevard and Petco in the Potrero Shopping Center in San Francisco, and PetSmart on Gellert in Daly City. You can visit our cats there any time or make an appointment with us Monday through Friday. This October, look forward to our annual benefit, Ten Lives. Please check for event date, location, and time that will be posted on our website, GiveMeShelterSF.org, in September.
How did you get involved with cat rescue?
Lana was working at a vet hospital when she started rehoming abandoned animals. Michele was a feral cat volunteer who always had a soft spot for the under-kitty.
Tell us about your organization.
Give Me Shelter (a nonprofit) started in 2003 when Lana had the opportunity to visit the animal shelter and saw how many adult and senior cats were at risk and slipping through the cracks. We get kittens by default through our trapping projects, but our main focus is and will continue to be adult and senior cats with manageable, treatable medical and behavior issues.
What is the biggest challenge facing your rescue right now?
Donations to support our ever-increasing veterinary costs and volunteers, to work with us as adoption counselors, foster parents, transporters, and provide administrative help.
What are some of the qualities that make cats great companions?
Each cat has a unique and complex personality. Cats are proven to be stress relievers. Cats give unconditional love have playful spirits and engage in entertaining antics. Cats are emotionally responsive to their human guardians and are highly intelligent and sensitive.
What is the age range of the cats at your rescue?
Two months to 17 years
A cat I’d really like to see adopted is …
Abby. Her owner passed away, and she most definitely misses them and has felt unsettled ever since.
She’s an older girl looking for an adopter who will help her feel at home.
She’s not overly needy, but she loves to be with you. She’s easy-going, so she’s great company for sitting and relaxing. She’s perfect for someone who is pretty settled in life who just wants a sweet, loving feline companion.
A cat who is a great success story …
Musya came to us from San Francisco Animal Care and Control after being surrendered by her owner, and her true personality was lost beneath her fear and confusion.
Her behavior notes indicated that her previous owner would punish her by giving her a “time out” in a cage. Consequently, it was less than desirable to place her in one of our adoption center cages. Due to our full foster network, however, we had no alternative if we wanted to save her.
We realized she would need a very special adopter with infinite patience and a good deal of cat experience. She found that perfect person! Musya’s first reaction to her new home was fear-based defensiveness and lashing out. Her behavior was less than desirable, but her new guardian saw through that behavior and just a few days later she was rolling on her back, looking for belly rubs and engaging with her new adopted siblings, proving once again that behavior is fluid and there is an appropriate home for every cat.
Where can people go online to find out more, see adoptable cats, volunteer, foster, or donate?
Please visit us at GiveMeShelterSF.org. You can also visit our cats at the locations mentioned above, or call us at the numbers listed above to schedule an appointment.