September 2026
Meet Chris
He may be allergic to them, but Chris has been caring for cats as long as he can remember.
“My parents were cat fosters my whole life growing up, so I’ve always been interested in rescue programs,” Chris explains.
Chris moved to Seattle from rural north Florida fourteen years ago. Ten years back, he discovered SAFe when a friend’s wife (another SAFe volunteer) invited him to the Nine Lives Gala.
“I think my first impression was that SAFE must be a bigger rescue operation than the ones I was familiar with,” he remembers. “A gala, o-la-la!”
After that night, Chris decided to get involved as soon as he found free time. Conveniently, his schedule opened up right around the time SAFe moved to its current location in Ballinger Way – and closer to Chris!
His Volunteer Role
Chris supports the intake team. This includes assisting with health checks, preparing enclosures, and transferring new kitties.
“I get to meet all the cats this way,” says Chris.
Moving can be stressful for cats, so keeping a level head is important. Fortunately, Chris knows how to handle this challenge. He even enjoys it!
“My best memory is moving a pile of eight orange kittens to their new enclosure,” he tells us. “They were tiny and loud!”
No matter how hectic his volunteer shift, Chris always leaves invigorated.
“Volunteering makes me energized,” says Chris. “I actually get more done the days when I volunteer at SAFe.”
He adds: “It’s a cliche but it really is easier and more fun to work on something you are personally/emotionally invested in. If you’re like me you might have more than two hours a week you were completely wasting on social media…[instead] you can choose to do something that makes you feel better than doom scrolling and you get to help cats.”
Outside of SAFe
“When I’m being my mild mannered alter ego, I am probably playing a video game of some kind,” says Chris. (His personal favorite is the online multiplayer DoTA.) “But I’m looking for opportunities to socialize offline and exist in my community, like this very one!”
Besides gaming and showing off cat photos to his friends, Chris has been staying busy renovating his kitchen and anticipating the next entry in the Pale Lights book series.
Thank you, Chris, for carrying on your lifelong commitment to cats by volunteering with SAFe. We’re so glad that you found your way to our community!
