Jonna grew up with Rottweilers and other big rescue dogs, but says she became obsessed with cats at a very young age. She received her first cat, Oreo, for her sixth birthday. Since she started volunteering at Seattle Humane, Jonna has fostered 40 cats and counting!
“When I moved into a home that allowed a separate space to foster cats, I signed up right away,” she says. “My resident cats have always been unfriendly to other animals so having a separate space for the fosters was necessary. Although Seattle Humane is 30 minutes from my house, their medical care and support systems have been such an amazing resource when fostering medically involved animals.”
Jonna finds it incredibly rewarding to watch the transformations in her foster cats, whether they are sick, injured or just needing space to rest and decompress, before sending them back to Seattle Humane to finally find their families.
Willow was a particularly challenging cat, as she was not only in need of medical attention but also very fearful and anxious. She had painful bilateral lesions and dermatitis. At some point on campus, she managed to cut a part of her right forelimb and would need to wear a cone while she healed. The stress of being on campus was taking its toll, and our vets felt a foster home would be the best place for her to heal. So, Willow went to stay with Jonna.
“I think because she made such a turnaround medically and in her behavior, Willow would be my favorite,” Jonna said. “She started out wearing a cone, staring at walls and hissing/swatting when I approached. By the end of the three months, her wound was healed, she loved getting belly rubs, became a lap cat, and liked to be held like a baby.”
Jonna’s foster cats Tabitha (left) and Gemelli, Orecchiette, and Pastina (right)
Jonna’s fostering stories inspired her parents to volunteer at their local shelter. She encourages anyone wanting to help shelter pets to start small and work their way up.
“If you have some time and care to give, then fostering can open up so much for the animal and person,” she says. “It can be tough sometimes to say goodbye, but the knowledge that they are going to a new home is reassuring! It can also help to start small, volunteer at the shelter, take a dog on a field trip, or foster a pet that you have the most experience with.”
Outside of fostering for Seattle Humane, Jonna loves to go hiking and camping, play volleyball and make pottery. Her resident cat, Lucille (pictured above), is a 9-year-old tortoiseshell.
“She loves treat puzzles, meat tubes, walking slowly through the garden and perching on my right shoulder,” Jonna says.
