Volunteer of the Month - December 2022

This month we are celebrating Brett Filiatrault.

In addition to being on the Operations Centre Cat Socialization team, he fosters cats who need additional behavioural support. Brett is known as the cat whisperer and his work helping to socialize terrified kitties has helped to give them confidence leading them to be able to go to foster homes sooner so they can find their furrever homes.

Here is Brett's story in his own words:

How did you start volunteering with VOKRA?

I started volunteering with VOKRA in June 2021. I had lived around cats my whole life until I moved to Vancouver for work back in 2017, and felt my living conditions weren’t stable enough to own a cat. In May 2021, I cat-proofed my apartment in order to cat-sit for a friend for two weeks. I enjoyed having the cat around so much that I decided to look into fostering with VOKRA.

I submitted an application, stating I was interested mostly in semi-feral cats and cats with behavioral issues, and I was matched with a beautiful behavior cat named Charisma. Shortly after bringing her home, I also joined the cat socialization team, where I got the opportunity to work with other scared and difficult cats.

Gwyn

in what capacity have you been volunteering?

As a member of the cat socialization team, I go to the operations center in the evening when it’s quiet and spend time with scared, aggressive, abused, and semi-feral cats. Our job is to slowly work with these special cats in order to get them to trust humans, with the goal of getting them fostered and then adopted. It can sometimes involve a bit of scratching and nipping, but I believe any cat can come around and be a wonderful roommate for someone!

As a foster, I like to take home cats that aren’t quite ready yet and give them more attention at home. I’ve fostered four cats with VOKRA so far, and each one has left a lasting impression on me. For people who are unable to have a permanent cat, I can’t recommend fostering enough!

What is your favourite part of volunteering?

My favourite part of volunteering is being able to see unfortunate cats have their lives turned around, and go on to live their best lives in permanent homes. Many cats come to us with sad backstories, so even simple things like getting them to accept treats from us are big steps in the right direction. It’s a really special feeling when a cat who’s lost all trust in humans purrs again for the first time.

Brett with Gary

Do you have a favourite kitty you have met or a favourite story from your time with VOKRA?

Definitely Gary. He was a pretty famous senior cat at the operations center, who’s favorite pastimes were bullying volunteers and meowing as loud as possible when people were nearby. I spent a lot of time in his area with him, and we developed a delicately balanced relationship. I traded him lots of treats and attention, and in exchange, he allowed me to be near him.

I had the pleasure of fostering him for a month, and I learned that he’s a very smart kitty. On his third night here, he figured out how to break out of his cat room while I was sleeping, and I woke up to him sitting on my chest and poking my eye with his paw. It turns out he’s a cat that does much better in a home with a consistent person, and is a great example of why fostering is so important.

Andrea Stangeland, Socialization team lead says this about Brett:

“Brett's calm, steady manner and years of experience make him a bona fide kitty whisperer. He has been an amazing asset to the cats at the Operations Centre, building trust with terrified and undersocialized kitties, which helps them find foster homes faster and improves their confidence long-term.”

As a volunteer-driven non-profit, we couldn’t do what we do without our extremely dedicated and hardworking team of volunteers. Thank you to each and every one of you!

If you are interested in volunteering for VOKRA apply here.