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A woman full of life, love and light, another Cat Care Society supporter, Leanne Emm passed away this past March.
A fourth generation Colorado native, Leanne was known for her sense of adventure, intellect and devotion. With decades of public service, she held roles in city and county government, going on to lead as the deputy commissioner of the Colorado Department of Education. When she wasn’t working, Leanne loved fitness, river rafting, watercolor paintings and napping in the sun with her cats (four of them adopted from CCS!).
Leanne served on CCS’ board of directors in 2017, and after retiring from her career in 2018, stepped into a larger, critical role as interim executive director. “It had been a turbulent couple of years for CCS, and Leanne was such a positive, steadying influence,” remembers Clyde Dawson, another long-time board member. “And what a sense of humor! As it turned out, one of the most important contributions she made to CCS was organizing and conducting the search for a permanent ED. She was an avid whitewater rafter and had been looking forward to river-running nearly full time in retirement. She also remained a strong supporter of the organization.”
Clyde recalls Leanne as a tremendous asset to CCS — “exceptionally intelligent, with a keen grasp of finances and management issues of all sorts, as well as warm and engaging,” he said. “I think she won us all over when she wrote in her board application that one reason she was interested in board service was that it would give her an excuse to come into the shelter more often and play with the cats!”
Leanne’s daughter Charlotte says that her mother loved cats her whole life, that they were a really grounding thing for her. “She just loved all animals, and cats were her favorites — that and baby goats and horses!” she said. “She loved CCS and seeing how happy people were when they got to bring a cat home.”
Leanne’s last update in the summer 2018 Cat Care Quarterly oozed her warm, bright personality and gratitude. For everything that she brought to our organization and the world, we’re grateful for her, too.
A long-time Cat Care Society supporter and leader, Gail Tinianow, passed away this spring, leaving behind a commitment to cats and a love for travel.
A child of Air Force parents, Gail was born in New York and lived in various parts of the U.S. and Spain. Early in her career, Gail worked for the federal government in Washington, D.C., and eventually earned a degree in business administration from Arapahoe Community College. She and her husband Marty married in 1985; she retired in 2006. Marty shared that Gail’s love of cats was extensive.
Her retirement marked the start of a 10-year dedication to Cat Care Society, when she began looking for volunteer opportunities. Jane Dorsey interviewed Gail to work in Cajun’s Closet, Cat Care’s thrift shop, in 2008. In 2011, she joined the board of directors to help ensure the financial success of CCS. Over the next several years, she would go on to hold roles of secretary, vice president, and president. In those days, CCS had a working board, recalled Ken Dobrovolny, so Gail was hands-on in the day-to-day operations of the shelter “and ran a tight ship.”
Jane Dorsey recalls Gail’s enjoyment of the Santa Paws Festival and the role she played in the planning committee. “I remember her bringing detailed records of everything from the prior year and challenged us to make it even better,” she said. “She was so enthusiastic about everything she took on, and that made it fun to work with her.”
Gail also generously donated a trip to her timeshare in Hawaii for the Tails of the Painted Cats auction more than once. “She was so excited when she came up with the idea of pairing a trip with a Hawaiian-themed sculpture,” Jane said. “Artist and volunteer Pat Lickly created the Hawaiian cat, and we had fresh flower leis made for Gail and the high bidder that night. She loved that event and whole-heartedly supported it.”
In the winter 2016 Cat Care Quarterly as board president, Gail wrote: “Our first order of business in the new year entails recruitment of an executive director. Your board has been running the Society since 2011, and I’m happy to report that we are now financially strong enough to fill this position. I’m simply honored to be at the helm of this great organization and cannot express enough appreciation for our amazing donors, volunteers and staff.”
Gail eventually stepped back from the board in 2018, but we will remember her for many, many more years to come.
It’s hard to say who is most valuable to an organization, but for a cat shelter, the medical and veterinary team is absolutely crucial in keeping our animals healthy. Here at Cat Care Society, a small handful of employees are responsible for the overall well-being of the cats and caring for any medical issues that come through the doors.
Many people may not realize that the vet team in a shelter looks very different than a traditional private vet clinic. This is because not only do they treat any current medical needs an animal has, but they’re also responsible for considering the medical pathway for a cat all the way through adoption. This dynamic team treats animals not just in our shelter, but readies them for life in a home setting. And, they have to balance this work in a noisy setting with multiple animals and people coming in and out, often with unexpected challenges to pivot around.
“The medical team in a shelter is a highly skilled team that we couldn’t do without,” said EC Michaels, CCS’ executive director. “They are asked to be on their feet while thinking big about the whole animal. When we get a cat with kidney disease, for example, they’re not just saying ‘they have kidney disease,’ but also looking at what we do to manage it here and how to educate adopters so they can manage it later. We are able to decrease the spread of contagion and increase adoptions because of this way of thinking.”
This team must also be ultra-coordinated because of the high volume of care that is needed, everyone has a role to play. The veterinary services manager oversees the whole process by scheduling the team, organizing surgical days, monitoring the shelter population, maintaining SOPs and protocols, monitoring inventory, and exploring new treatments. Our vet techs ensure the flow of animals that need treatment or surgery, run anesthesia, prioritize needs, check medications, maintain records, approve animals for adoption, and work with the foster team to build a plan for each cat. On surgery days, they ensure there is always a patient ready for a vet and administer drug protocols while the assistants monitor vitals, check diagnostics, sanitize tools and ensure the cats wake up appropriately.
Our veterinarians are able to perform about 30 spays and neuters in just one day! This happens about three times a month in the busy season and twice in the slower winter. They also do about 4.5 dental procedures a week — or 200 a year.
The medical team begins each morning by taking blood glucoses on the diabetic cats and feeding them breakfast, then providing treatments for the rest of the shelter. Then they either have scheduled surgeries, work through the CVT checklist or complete intakes on new cats. After this, they clean up the clinic and get ready for evening treatments, which includes another blood glucose reading and dinner for the diabetics, and medications for cats in the rest of the shelter.
On a daily basis, the medical team is constantly performing phlebotomy to obtain lab work, performing radiographs, running anesthesia for procedures, performing dental prophylaxis under the supervision of a veterinarian, performing intake exams on new cats arriving at the shelter, and making sure that our population is healthy and thriving. And of course, responding to any emergencies!
Another misconception is that every single animal in a shelter receives a full medical exam from a veterinarian. Because our shelter vets time is so limited, we preserve the resources we have. Therefore, only cats that require their attention are escalated to a vet by the rest of the team. Our techs are responsible for intake exams, which includes a general once-over and any vaccines and dewormers. Then, they are trusted to route the animal to either the adoption floor, for behavioral attention or to receive additional vet care.
We are also proud to take on some pretty complicated medical cases that weren’t previously managed for a cat before he or she came to our shelter. We’re often able to identify the source of a cat’s medical or behavioral issue and provide medication or treatment to improve their quality of life. It’s kind of like a medical makeover or a glow up so that they leave the shelter in better shape than when they came in. A recent example of this is Rambo (pictured above), who came to us early this year with three housemates after his owner passed away. After his initial exams and bloodwork, we noticed some lameness and within a few days, a limp was isolated to his left hind leg. Rambo was discovered to be walking flat on his entire foot rather than just on his toes. We also discovered pancreatitis and early stage kidney disease. He was switched him to a new diet, which helped Rambo’s daily life. After a few months, Rambo was fitted for a leg brace thanks to the help from an orthopedic specialist. He now has increased mobility and comfort to walk around thanks to his new brace!
“Our team truly loves their patients and remembers each and every one,” Crystal Evans, vet services manager, said. “We provide cats with a turbulent past or medical issue that would normally not be adopted out a second chance at finding their forever homes.”
Not only is this team advocates for the voiceless, but they ensure our cats receive the best care possible.
In calendar-year 2023, the CCS medical team was responsible for:
As of summer 2024, the CCS medical team consists of:
We thank each of our veterinary staff for their dedication, skills and contribution to the livelihood of our cats.
Kathy McChesney doesn’t do anything lightly. This Cat Care Society supporter extraordinaire goes the extra mile by serving on the board of directors and multiple committees, volunteering her time and resources, helping at events and providing transportation, and donating on top of it all. Why does she go so “all in” for CCS? “Because everything is about the cats!” she proudly exclaims.
Originally from Texas, Kathy moved to Denver in 2018 after years of running her own cat rescue. Relocating for work as an airline pilot, she retired in 2021. With her own passion for cats, she was on the hunt for a new cat shelter to help. Thanks to the suggestion of her financial advisor, Michaela Sullivan (who also now serves on the CCS board), she began donating to us. The real turning point was when she was invited to a holiday event and met some of the staff and saw the shelter in person.
Shortly after, Kathy joined the board and became even more involved. Today, she serves as secretary, is on the governance committee and strategic plan workgroup, assists at events, transports cats to specialty medical appointments, writes for our blog, donates financially through a donor-advised fund (DAF), and is a member of the Nine Lives Legacy Society.
Kathy has multiple cats of her own — all sweet rescues and strays that she has adopted who follow her everywhere — and is shining example of what a cat lover who gives back can look like. Kathy often brings her experience and perspective to the table, advocating for black cats and sharing how unique and special the animal welfare landscape is in Colorado. For instance, she shares that in Texas, shelters in the state are overwhelmed in a way that we haven’t quite seen here. Attitudes are cultures are different there, where it is more prevalent for animals to not be spayed or neutered, and sadly, often dumped if they’re no longer wanted. This is what fuels her to give back now.
“I donate because I’ve run own rescue and know how hard it is to get people to give; I understand the need,” she said. “Cats are the most important thing in my life, and I‘ve been fortunate in my career, so I’d rather help cats than anything else.”
The reason Kathy keeps coming back to Cat Care Society in particular, she says, is because of the cats themselves and our policies. “It’s just everything, the open concept, the way we take in animals that would be put down somewhere else, the Temporary Care Program and how it helps people, and that we always go the extra mile for every single cat,” she said. “I’ve never seen a shelter that does that. It is so unique, and the cats are so happy. I can feel comfortable walking into CCS and not feeling like I need to bring every cat home.”
Kathy also appreciates the variety of ways in which she can give. The DAF provides so many tax benefits, and is easy to set up with a financial institution. And the Nine Lives Legacy Society gives her reassurance that her animals will be taken care of if both her and her husband are gone. “I know they’ll be well taken care of, and I trust they’ll be adopted into good homes,” she said. “It’s the best way I know to support cats in the way they should be supported.”
Another innovative idea that Kathy helped facilitate was a relationship between CCS and Colorado State University in Fort Collins. There, Dr. Michael Lappin, director of companion animal studies, runs a program called Saving Animals in Shelters by Teaching (SAST). This program accepts animals from shelters who need complex surgeries that go beyond a shelter’s capacity. Used for things like heart surgeries, which would be incredibly costly at a specialist, it also affords veterinary medicine students the ability to learn and practice. Kathy was generous enough to use her connections at the school to expand their service to CCS as well, and now a year later, our first cat underwent a successful internal hernia surgery there. “Something this complex would be so expensive, and we got it at cost,” she said. “Plus, we don’t have enough vets The country doesn’t have enough vets! So anything we can do to train vets is hugely helpful.”
“My whole life, all I’ve wanted to do is take care of cats,” Kathy added said. “I give to CCS because I know that all the money donated is used for the right reasons. It all goes to the cats, and Cat Care Society is the best place I can imagine for a cat in need to be — if not in someone’s home of course.”
If you’d like to give to Cat Care Society too, visit our Ways to Give page for a list of ways your support can help save more cats in our community!
Cat Care Society is lucky to have hundreds of incredibly dedicated volunteers, many of whom have been staples around the shelter for years or even decades. One long-time volunteer is about to approach her 10th year!
Melissa Colsman began volunteering with CCS in 2014, originally drawn to spend time here after she first visited when looking to adopt a new kitty. It was the atmosphere of all of the cats roaming, playing and lounging that drew her in. Since her first CCS introduction, Melissa had adopted three CCS cats, and her parents adopted two. “The love and care for all of the cats is apparent in everything from the shelter design to the adoption policies to the focus on housing cats who have more needs,” she said. “I love being able to go to the shelter and interact with cats so readily. You can feel the love at CCS!”
Melissa’s first volunteer gig was our nursing home program, in which she brought shelter cats to senior centers for snuggles (a program that ended when the pandemic hit). Later, she was trained to be an adoption assistant, which provided extra help to staff on busy weekends. There, she helped greet clients, orient them to the shelter, provide information about adoption and link them to staff to start the adoption process.
In 2022, Melissa retired after 34 years as an educator. At that time, she started working with another volunteer, Erin, to assist with our on-site store, Meow Mart. Together, the two keep it stocked, price new items and assist with inventory — while making plenty of time to snuggle all of the kitties. “I just have a great time with my Meow Mart partner, Erin,” she said. “We laugh, problem-solve, and have fun helping Mandy keep [it] running.”
Melissa also helps at various events like Santa Paws and the golf tournament, both of which are great fundraisers for the shelter. “With each job, I’ve been able to see that I’ve been able to help staff and clients have a good experience at the shelter,” Melissa said. “It’s gratifying to be able to help, even if it’s just keeping wand toys stocked so cat owners have ways to engage with their fur babies. It feels good to help an organization that you believe in. It’s one thing to provide funding, which is incredibly important! But it is also personally satisfying to be able to give my time, energy and love directly to the shelter.”
“We love having Melissa’s help around the shelter!” added CCS’s Volunteer & Events Manager Mandy Babb. “She is consistently reliable and has played such a crucial role in keeping things running for many years. I know that when Melissa is on hand at an event, or when she’s managing Meow Mart, that we can count on everything running smoothly. Her history here is invaluable, and her passion is evident in the work she does for the CCS cats, and we couldn’t thank her more!”
If you’re interested in volunteering, learn more and apply at www.catcaresociety.org/volunteer.
One of the most crucial roles to any animal shelter is making sure that the animals in our care are well taken care of. And the department at Cat Care Society responsible for this is our animal care team. These staff members are the most hands-on with the cats on a daily basis.
Rain or shine, holiday or not, this team shows up for the cats in a big way! A typical day starts with morning rounds, where they take inventory of all the animals in the shelter to ensure every cat is accounted for and there is nothing abnormal. They then work together to get set up for the day, which includes food prep and feeding, laundry, restocking, splitting up rooms and quarantine areas, offering enrichment to the cats after cleaning, and sifting through donations. “Not a lot of down time for us, but the day is fun and goes quickly!” said Michelle Duvall, animal care lead.
This team is also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the facility, creating and implementing vital enrichment programs and techniques to keep the cats happy and their minds and bodies nourished, reporting to and communicating with the medical team when any abnormalities and illness is recognized, communicating with the adoptions team about behavior and personality traits to help cats find compatible homes, and working closely with the animal care volunteers.
Just one example of the impact this team has is with two recent bonded cats that were in our care: Garfield and Big Red, both FIV boys. Cats with FIV are usually in shelters longer due to the public not fully understanding the disease. Garfield came to CCS as extremely fractious and was near impossible to handle. “He was not facing a good fate,” Duvall recalled. “He is the reason why animal care, especially Kelly, took on a strong compassion for socialization and enrichment.”
It took months for Garfield to trust humans, until one day he met Big Red, another very shy boy. The two bonded quickly and were placed in a room by themselves. That’s when the team was finally able to touch him! Garfield was eating Churus from a long handle, and then soon enough our fingers, and then rubbing between our legs for attention. “You could see the change in his eyes; he was brighter, happier, and overall the sweetest boy,” Duvall said. “Our team cried the day they went home with each other, and we all realized how important our job is when it comes to giving these guys a second chance!”
Last but not least, it’s also important that this team understands and implements the rules and regulations of the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA), which is Colorado’s program that licenses and inspects animal facilities and protects the well-being of the animals in the state.
This team currently consists of eight staff members:
Duvall says that working in this shelter environment has been the most rewarding and exciting job she has ever worked. “It’s been amazing to see cats open up to humans,” she shared. “My favorite cases are the ones who were otherwise deemed ‘unhandleable’ learn to open up and trust humans. It’s amazing to work with like-minded people who have a passion for cats, who are very misunderstood creatures in my mind. While this job isn’t always easy as some animals don’t always make it beyond the shelter walls, it’s amazing to be a part of their lives to ensure they have a happy, health, and clean home, even if it may be temporary. The most rewarding of it all is bonding and seeing them moving along to families! It’s so difficult to not take them all home (I’m a foster fail with my current cat Albus; formerly Simon).”
Animal care techs have a labor-intensive job that requires a lot of physical movement and lifting, and they deal with some less-than-glamourous clean-up situations. But for everything they do, we thank them for the tireless dedication to the cats of our shelter.
This article was included in the summer 2023 edition of our Cat Care Quarterly newsletter. Read up on more CCS news and updates by checking out the latest edition!
With Halloween approaching, it’s the perfect time to spotlight a particular type of cat—and no, we’re not talking about black cats! Instead, we’re focusing on tri-color cats, whose coats feature a mix of black, orange, and white in varying patterns and ratios. While “tri-color” and “calico” are often used interchangeably, calico cats have a distinct coat pattern. Tortoiseshell cats are also considered tri-color, even though they usually lack white and have their own unique pattern. It’s important to remember that “calico” and “tortoiseshell” refer to coat patterns, not breeds. These color combinations are the result of genetics and can appear in any breed, though they are more commonly found in breeds like American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail, Maine Coon, and Persian.
There are also diluted and tabby variations of tortoiseshell and calico cats—so many colorful kitties to love! In the rest of this article, we’ll explore the different markings and patterns that define each type of tri-color coat. By the end, you’ll be able to recognize the unique beauty of every tri-color cat you encounter.
Tri-color cats are almost always female, with approximately one in 3,000 being male. This is because two X chromosomes are needed to have a distinctive tri-color coat. Typically, if a cat has an XX pair, she will be female. Male cats have an XY chromosome pair, so they’re not tri-color unless they have at least one extra chromosome (XXY). Unfortunately, these males often suffer from Klinefelter’s Syndrome, a condition that can negatively affect their health and longevity.
Calico cat coats feature patches of solid orange, black, and white. The white color is a result of a genetic condition called piebalding, which occurs in a range of other domestic and farm animals. In a diluted calico, the colors are more muted to cream, gray, and white, due to a gene inherited from one of the parents that diminishes color intensity.
“Tabico” is a term for cats that have a combination of tabby and calico markings. These cats have large patches of orange and black on a white background, with tabby stripes overlaying some of the black and orange areas. When tabby stripes cover the forehead, they form the distinctive “tabby M.” A diluted tabico’s coat features cream, gray, and white fur.
Tortoiseshell, or “tortie,” cats have brindle patterns (irregular stripes or streaks) of orange and black with little to no white. A diluted tortie has gray and cream colors and is a result of both parents carrying a recessive gene that impacts the intensity of the colors.
A torbie cat exhibits both the multi-colored brindle pattern of a tortoiseshell cat and the characteristic stripes or spots of a tabby. Like the tabico, if there are tabby stripes on the cat’s forehead, they will display the “tabby M.” Diluted torbies usually have a cream, gray and white coat.
A “tortico” is a combination of classic tortie and calico markings, featuring large patches of orange and black brindling on a white background. A diluted tortico is relatively rare, and will be gray and cream, and white.
As you can see, there are many variations of tri-color cats but you can still count yourself lucky if you run into one! In many cultures tri-color cats are connected with good luck and good fortune, and in the U.S., they are sometimes called “money cats.”
People who have tri-color cats often report that they’re equally sweet and sassy and tortoiseshell cat owners often refer to their feisty side as having “tortitude.” However, since tri-color cats aren’t a breed, research hasn’t been able to confirm that this extra feistiness is a distinct trait related to their coat pattern. That said, if you haven’t taken our “Whats Your Cat Purrsonality” quiz on our Just Fur Fun page, now’s your chance! Discover which cat breed or color pattern best represents you—maybe even find out if you have a bit of tortitude!”
About the Author: Beth Dokolasa is a volunteer for Cat Care Society and serves on the Board of Directors. She is an instructional developer for Natural Grocers and lives in Indian Hills, Colo., with her husband, daughter, and two cats, Techno and Digit.
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