Finding B.C.R and how it changed how I see. Being a crazy cat lady and the owner of three amazing cats, I spend most of my spare time hunting down cute cat videos on YouTube, There I was one evening browsing, jumping from one video the next when I saw a video for a place called blind cat rescue, I clicked on it not realizing it was broadcasting live and in front of me was the biggest, most handsomest, white Marshmallow of a cat I had ever seen, his name was Scotty. He walked across the screen and took up the whole screen, he was adorable and I was hooked. After a few clicks on Google I found out that BCR was a forever home for cats who are blind, FELV or FIV positive, I didn't really know what to expect when I started watching, I had heard of FIV before but I didn't know anything  about it and I certainly didn't know what FELV was. At the beginning I just tuned in to watch the cats,  I was amazed by these blind cats who got around and acted like normal cats, now, I know that sounds stupid but I'd never had any personal experience with blind cats before but I had read about them and I'd read that you could never move your furniture that they couldn't climb, jump or run about because they couldn't see, they would walk into things and hurt themselves. Watching these cats made me realize what a load of nonsense that was, not only did they climb, .jump and play, they can catch bugs in mid air! They have a saying at BCR, you don't need eyes to see and that is very true of these cats, if you think blind cats act any different than a cat who can see then you are mistaken and sadly it took videos online to show that to me. It also took BCR to show me that a cat with FIV could live a perfectly normal life, again I had read  about the feline immunodeficiency virus and I thought their lives would be badly effected and largely reduced. I  was wrong, these cats can live long, happy, loving, lives. FELV was something I knew nothing about, when I became aware of how many cats are put to sleep for testing positive I was heartbroken, it is true that FELV sadly will take the life of the cat but that cat deserves to know what love, comfort and happiness is and BCR does just that, They take in these cats that no one wants and shows them what true love is, knowing they will have to say goodbye to a cat they have cared for and loved, they still take in more, It takes a special kind of person to do that, a person with a heart of pure gold. Finding BCR changed my life, it introduced me to a place where the crazy cat lady in me can be indulged and watch the cats all day long, a place where I can learn, A place where I can (and i have) ask for help, a place where other viewers became my family.  If I hadn't spotted that video I would still be living in ignorance, It shows me how important social media is for getting information out there, sharing videos and stories about BCR can not only help the cats at BCR, it can help change other people views, just like it changed mine and it can help save cats lives,  people need to know that a cat being FIV positive isn't the end of the world and that the blind cat in the shelter really does deserve to have a home. Clare Yates   (cookie cat) Clare is a regular Ustream chatter and lives in the UK with her 3 kitties. If you would like to share your story and have it in our newsletter.  Please email me:  Alana@blindcatrescue.com

Did you know that if you click the previous button,  you may read older copies of the newsletters?

Thank you for reading!