In a three-floor lane house in the Minhang District, a couple of ayis and some volunteers are dedicating their time to giving cats in need a second chance at life. When you enter through the door of the Paw Pals Animal Rescue (PPAR) shelter, you are instantly greeted by about ten cats, caged or walking free, and they all look healthy and happy. On the floor above, the rest of the “adoptable” cats are resting in their cages and looking curiously at us when we enter the room. Some of them reach out their paws between the bars, as if to invite us to come and play with them. Some are marked by a few small imperfections such minor scars or red and teary eyes. All of them start to purr instantly when we open the cages to pick them up. Continuing to the third floor, however, the situation changes.
Before entering the rooms on the third floor, we wash our hands with soap and water. Some of the cats here are extremely sensitive and vulnerable to infections. One of them has a serious skin condition and is wearing a sweater over an almost bare body. His face is full of furless patches and strange liquids are coming out of the eyes, nose and mouth. In a cage next to him, a cat is staring into space and does not seem to notice our presence. Valentina, a volunteer at the shelter, tells me that they think he has FIV, a virus similar to AIDS in humans. “These cats will never be adopted” she says. “Only a person who is really willing to sacrifice a huge amount of time and energy would take home such a cat.” The two rooms are filled with cats that are seriously injured or infected, and it is not difficult to imagine that many visitors limit their choices to the cats on the first and second floors.
We talked to Valentina, a part-time volunteer at the PPAR Shelter about her experiences there.
UF: What happens if a cat doesn’t get adopted?
He will stay here forever, I think. We do have some extra space at the moment, so we can take care of all the cats we have and still have room for a few more. Today is the first time I have been here in a month because I was working so much – I’m very happy to see that a lot of the cats that were here the last time have disappeared, which means they found permanent homes.
UF: How did you get in touch with this organization?
I missed having animals around me. Back home in Italy, my family used to have eight cats so I have always had pets in my life. We used to take care of cats we found on the street. Since I moved to Shanghai, I haven’t been able to get a pet because I go back to Italy for months at a time. I decided that I needed to have cats in my life so I searched online for volunteering opportunities. I found PPAR and started coming here to help out.
UF: Have you always had a love for cats?
Yes, I think if you are used to having pets it’s really difficult to be without them. I tell myself every time I go here that I shouldn’t get attached because I know I can’t take them home with me. I always wanted to be a veterinarian, but life lead me in a different direction. Volunteering is a good way for me to live out that fantasy of working with animals, and I don’t care about not getting paid for it. The reward of helping cats and spending some time with them, even for a few hours per week, is enough. I love all animals – not only cats – and I am a vegetarian.
UF: How often do you come here, and what do you do when you’re here?
I usually come every Sunday if I can and I stay for about four hours. I sweep the floors, feed the cats, play with them and pet them. The social interaction with the cats is a very important aspect because we need to prepare them for adoption. If a cat is not friendly, the chances to find him or her a permanent home are very slim. The ayis’ who work here are really good at what they do and treat all the cats with great care. They make sure the cats get the food, medication and love they need, but of course it would be better for them to find permanent homes.
UF: Do you have a special bond with any of the animals here?
Yes, I have a favorite, Wu Song. He is big and orange – I love fat cats! He has become a bit of a mascot here at the shelter.
UF: Are you worried about him?
I think he will find a good home eventually. He is such a friendly cat that I couldn’t imagine why nobody would take him. If not, I know that everyone at the shelter will take good care of him.
UF: What has volunteering given you?
I like the fact that I am devoting some of my time to a good cause. I have been volunteering for about three years in total and about three months at this shelter. I think everyone should try to find what they are passionate about and help out in some way. I care about animals and I like to help them by coming here while others may be passionate about helping children, for example. Then they should find a good charity organization or try to help in some other way. Working at the cat shelter is also a great chance for me to practice my Chinese.
UF: What difficulties do you face as a volunteer?
It’s always difficult to see cats suffer and it’s hard for me to accept that I can’t adopt them. In Italy, I volunteered for WWF and helped save wild animals, and some of them died while I was taking care of them. It was especially difficult when they seemed to be recovering and doing well, and then got worse again. I haven’t worked at this shelter for very long, but one event that shocked me was when they had to perform an abortion on a pregnant cat. I know it was for the best, and it’s common to sterilize cats to control the birth rate, but a kitten abortion was difficult to take in.
UF: What has been a happy moment during your time here?
Just being around cats makes me happy and seeing them find a good home is always a great pleasure. I also have to add that it makes me happy to see how some people care for animals here in China. In a lot of other countries - at least in Italy – people generally think that nobody cares about animals and that the Chinese will eat anything that moves. But working here has made me realize what a deep love and respect a lot of people have for animals.
UF: How can people help?
Do what I did: just contact PPAR and offer to volunteer or adopt a cat if you can. I have no experience in working professionally with animals; all that was needed was a love for cats. As long as you are prepared to do things like sweep the floors and clean the cages, you can become a volunteer.
// For more information about PPAR and how to become a volunteer, adopter or foster parent, email PPAR at ppar_sh@163.com (English and Chinese) or call 021-5480-1699 (only in Chinese). Adoption days are arranged every Saturday and Sunday between 1 and 5pm at the shelter in Minhang District.
