CAT MEN WE LOVE – Joe Federico, Volunteer Extraordinaire

“Cat ladies” aren’t the only ones with a soft spot for kitties. Men are big fans of felines too! We’re profiling some of FixNation’s favorite cat-loving gents in a special series of emails throughout the month of June. Enjoy!

Q. What do you love most about cats?
I used to be intrigued only by big cats. Lions and tigers and cheetahs, oh my! Now I know there’s a big cat in every kitten and a kitten in every big cat. I love getting to know both sides, the soft, gentle, purring side and the instinctive hunter side. After a tough day, I can go home, sit on the floor and instantly be covered in love.

Q. How many kitties do you have?
We have four inside cats (well, maybe a few more than that…), plus six community cats that we care for. We just finished fostering some kittens and that was a month of free entertainment. If you’re ever feeling sad or low, get some kittens and enjoy the show. No TV necessary!

Q. How did you get involved with FixNation?
It started when I helped a friend trap a colony of 15 cats about five years ago. After four weeks of driving the cats back and forth to FixNation, I was a bit bummed when it was all over. I was so impressed by the clinic and how well the cats were cared for by the staff and doctors. I asked if I could help out as a volunteer and now I just can’t get enough of it.

Q. What role do you play at the clinic?
I teach people how to safely trap cats and care for them before and after surgery. I also provide transportation for trappers that live out in the San Gabriel Valley. Twice a week, we load up the FixNation van with trapped cats and I drive them to the clinic and back again. I also help with large colonies and do trapping for people who can’t do TNR themselves.

Q. One last thing…tell us about this amazing drawing!
Two of our top trappers are sisters, Helen and Christine, and I often drive their cats to the clinic. One day they took a photo of me and took it to a friend who does caricatures. The next time I showed up at our weekly rendezvous they presented it to me as a surprise. Everyone there that day got a big kick out of it.