Volunteer Spotlight
Winter 2011
Steven Hambleton
Steven and Spooner
Steven Hambleton became a regular fixture at the office when our Cat Adoption Suite opened in April. He was so quiet that sometimes, we wouldn’t be sure he showed up for his shift until we went downstairs to check on the suite. It was always spotless and pristine, of course, and all the cats were happy and well-fed. Steven has never missed a shift with the cats, and even filled in at the Cat Adoption Suite on Christmas Day so our staff could have the holiday off. He’s also volunteered Super Adoption events, helped build winter homes for feral cats and fosters cats on a regular basis. And Steven isn’t just a cat person; before he volunteered at our Cat Adoption Suite, he volunteered at our dog kennel for five months.
Steven first started volunteering and fostering for No More Homeless Pets in Utah in December of 2009. He found out about us through our feral program. He had been caring for a colony behind his workplace for 11 years, slowly and deeply bonding with the cats he took care of. “The more time I spent with them,” he said, “the more I became aware of the amount of suffering and death that is part of their daily lives as outdoor cats, especially the kittens. During this same time, we had adopted in two of the ferals and I came to the awareness that house cats and ferals were the same. They’re just cats; the only difference being whether they have had the opportunity to be socialized or not.”
With this awareness, Steven looked into what more he could do for feral cats. He called Daye Abbot, our Feral Fix Director, who explained the program. Shortly after he called No More Homeless Pets in Utah, Jonny Woodward, our master cat trapper, visited the colony, trapped all of the cats, and took them all to be fixed. Steven wanted to improve the lives of even more cats, noting, “One of the most satisfying accomplishments is to be able to take an outdoor cat and give them the chance to be an indoor cat and a chance at an easier life.”
Over two years ago, he did just this with one of his personal cats, Spooner, who came from his feral colony. Steven and his girlfriend Jane found Spooner and two of his siblings when they were only two weeks old, cold, and abandoned. He took them in, but only Spooner survived. “We just held him and tried to feed him and keep him warm. Jane and I took turns getting up and feeding him, and I drove home from work every three hours to check on him and feed him.” They kept this schedule for 6 weeks, until it was finally clear that Spooner was out of danger. Spooner, now 2 ½ years old, still gets special care—even though he’s now a strong and fearless cat. “We still check on him last thing at night and first thing in the morning. After having so much emotionally invested in his well being, I almost feel like he’s a part of me and he knows it.” Spooner is emotionally invested in Steven as well, and is an affectionate cat: “In order for him to sleep he has to wrap his arms and legs around me. That’s why we named him Spooner.”
Today, Steven does for our foster cats what he did for Spooner, specializing in helping tame feral kittens and providing any special care his fosters need. He bring his fosters to every adoption event, making sure that they get a lot exposure – which means that his fosters are adopted at a rapid rate! Our Adoption Coordinator, Erin Olsen, appreciates his dedication: “Steven also constantly goes the extra mile to help with a variety of other tasks; sometimes when he shows up to pick up his foster cats from an adoption event; he'll also stay an extra hour and help tear down the event. He's been especially helpful in treating our kitties when they need medications, and he always follows up and asks about every cat he's cared for.”
In addition to Spooner, Steven lives with Sweetie, another cat he took in from his feral colony, and Buddy, a blue heeler. His animals are truly his family members, but his love of animals extends well beyond his family. “I am High Functioning Autistic (Asperger’s Syndrome) and have always found animals far easier to relate to than people. Plus, being chosen as a friend by a feral cat, you can’t really put a price on that -- it takes so much work on their part in order to trust. They don’t say much, but what they do say with their body language means a lot. It’s something I would never want to miss!”
We’ve all come to rely on him when we have a sick or not-quite tame cat that needs some extra TLC. He’ll come in on the weekend to help care for them, or bring them home for a sleepover so they can get out of the office. With all the time and love he puts into the cats, they love him right back. Jamie Carter, our Cat Foster Coordinator pointed out, “He is awesome with the cats, every time he is there, the cats are ALL over him, and cats are the best judge of character!”