Introduction

Welcome to 365 Days in Cat Rescue

As the Medical Supervisor and Certified Veterinary Technician, I'm documenting every single day of 2026 in my cat rescue - the beautiful, the brutal, and everything in between.

Why? Because people need to understand what shelter work really looks like.

They see the adoption photos and the happy endings. They don't see the 2 AM emergency calls, the ringworm outbreaks, the heartbreak of a returned cat, or the impossible medical decisions we make with limited resources. They don't see the foster coordinator crying in her car or the relief when a cat who's been here for 18 months finally finds their person.

At Hermitage, we care for up to 400+ cats at any given time. I oversee medical protocols, manage veterinary staff, coordinate intake procedures, and assist in making decisions that literally determine whether cats live or die. It's not a job - it's a calling, a life of service, and some days it nearly breaks me.

This blog won't be polished or perfect. Some days I'll post about medical breakthroughs and successful adoptions. Other days I'll write about compassion fatigue, difficult euthanasia decisions, or conflicts with volunteers who don't understand why we do things the way we do. Every post will be honest.

Each day, I'll share our numbers, highlight a case or moment that mattered, and give you a window into what it actually takes to run a sanctuary for hundreds of cats. By December 31st, 2026, you'll have seen a complete, unfiltered year in cat rescue.

This is shelter work. This is what we do. This is why it matters.

See you on January 1st.