Charity, Uncategorized VOLUTEERING AT THE SCAA 26 January 2010

Second Chance Animal Aid is a volunteer organisation in Shanghai, supporting and looking after abandoned animals and re-homing them. The reason I try not to do too much animal-oriented volunteering is because I have a massively soft heart for animals. I just know I’ll fall in love with one (or more) and get really really sad not being able to take them home. But finally, Chris and I decided to get up early one Sunday morning and help out the animals πŸ™‚

It was about one hour out of Shanghai, when all the buildings starting dropping away and we saw more and more farms. It’s amazing how much Shanghai changes in just an hour! We were basically in woop-woops-ville with hardly a soul in sight, fresh clean air, and green grass. Ahhhh…. divine.

The purpose of the day was really simple – look after and play with the cats. As volunteers only come once every two weeks, the poor kittys are quite starved of attention and affection. So we just had to interact with them and play with them, as well as brush their fur (they love this). I wouldn’t even call it “volunteering”, because we got so so so much out of it ourselves πŸ™‚ I just adored the kitties!

There were over 100 cats there, in this large converted house. A total cat paradise, the cats can roam freely and lounge around all day. What a life! These cats are here because they’re abandoned though, and some of them with a bunch of problems (mainly mouth/gum issues), so they stay there until they can get re-homed – which isn’t exactly a sure-thing since many of the cats are old (people only like to adopt cute little kittens). So they are just there, having a nice quiet life, until they go to kitty heaven.

I tried very veeerrryyy hard not to cuddle them TOO much, because I just know I’ll get irrationally attached and want to bring one home. Was doing a fairly good job of it, in fact, until at the end… when I sat down and a beautiful black cat jumped onto my lap, purring madly and being so affectionate. I wanted to bring it home so badly πŸ™

It was really nice to be out there, in the middle of nowhere, and playing with these gorgeous cats. A wonderful way to spend a Sunday πŸ™‚


On the way to the Animal Shelter. Not a high-rise building in sight, amazing for Shanghai!

A couple of dogs. These were abandoned guard dogs and are trained to kill on sight.
They were scary…

Certainly not a sweet, cuddly dog!

Kitty paradise!!

Very well looked after cats, looking smug

Awwww ‘lil cutie!

Salmon snacks

Enjoying a scratch

One of the large rooms in the house

Snuggle time

Ceiling Cat watches you stealthily from above

“Hullo Ceiling Cat!”

A RIDICULOUSLY FUNNY video of a cat with a nerve problem (and me yabbering away).
You totally have to watch it – much LOLment!!

A gorgeous pure white kitty

Content in a new kitty bed that we brought

Pretty kitty

Chris really attracts the pussy. OH YES, I did say that!

This cat was totally enamoured with him and kept snuggling up

And this jet black kitty loved me πŸ™‚

Oh to be a cat… what a fab life

Us = cat chairs

Awwwww what a cutie!!

Let’s Chat!




Let's Chat!

Where do you find all these places to volunteer? I have been looking in my city but nothing exists unless I want to do a full week’s trip outside of the city to a rural area. :T

I surf the net like mad looking for places around SHA that I can volunteer in.. and also once i know people in a charity group, I ask them if they volunteer in others, etc. Mostly word of mouth πŸ™‚

Where do you find all these places to volunteer? I have been looking in my city but nothing exists unless I want to do a full week’s trip outside of the city to a rural area. :T

I surf the net like mad looking for places around SHA that I can volunteer in.. and also once i know people in a charity group, I ask them if they volunteer in others, etc. Mostly word of mouth πŸ™‚

Aww how sweet is that white cat with Chris. πŸ™‚ I think I like ceiling cat the best, he/she’s got the perfect view.

Oooh this post makes me happy and sad at the same time. I’m glad you guys volunteered your time. Those poor kitties, especially the one in the video. πŸ™ Looks like he had a neurological disorder. I’m sure he/she was so happy to have someone give it attention. I wish I had a big enough place to adopt a lot more cats & dogs. One day though! One day we plan on buying land and adopting and loving all our furry little kids. The little white cats snuggling with Chris is adorable. I’m going to go hug my kitties now. :)))

Aww how sweet is that white cat with Chris. πŸ™‚ I think I like ceiling cat the best, he/she’s got the perfect view.

Oooh this post makes me happy and sad at the same time. I’m glad you guys volunteered your time. Those poor kitties, especially the one in the video. πŸ™ Looks like he had a neurological disorder. I’m sure he/she was so happy to have someone give it attention. I wish I had a big enough place to adopt a lot more cats & dogs. One day though! One day we plan on buying land and adopting and loving all our furry little kids. The little white cats snuggling with Chris is adorable. I’m going to go hug my kitties now. :)))

Hehe I have to admit, I’m much more of a dog person. Cats to me seems a little evil and aren’t as loyal as dogs…but that’s just me being biased!

Hehe I have to admit, I’m much more of a dog person. Cats to me seems a little evil and aren’t as loyal as dogs…but that’s just me being biased!

It’s not that simple, we can’t all just take home a cat, because it never stops – you can’t just take home one πŸ˜‰ So volunteers are encouraged not to just impulsively take them home, but to care for them in this home instead

I love cats! They are such gorgeous animals. They sure look like they’re enjoying all the attention and fussing from you and Chris! Its so cute how the white cats seem to love him and how the black cat loves you!

hah true, at least i can laugh about it now! should’ve seen the shocked looks of disbelief and shifty-eyes at me though, when i was playing. And chris trying to move sloowwwllyyyy to the back of the crowd, like “I dunno this crazy person”!!!

I am so, SO jealous that you can do this! I developed an allergy to cats as an adult, and I love them but can’t be anywhere close to them now, as they turn me into a sneezing, sniffling, watery-eyed mess. That’s awesome and inspirational that you are so involved in volunteering.

Such gorgeous kitties. I especially love the one snuggling in the cat bed you donated.

Reminds me of the extremely affectionate kitty we met at Yu Yuan when we were visiting Shanghai a few years back.

Looks like it was a warmish day, with Chris in a sweater sans coat.

It’s not that simple, we can’t all just take home a cat, because it never stops – you can’t just take home one πŸ˜‰ So volunteers are encouraged not to just impulsively take them home, but to care for them in this home instead

i’m afraid that i go to Malone’s with you on the 7th I will return home with a doggie or kitty. I so much want to get a girlfriend for Symbi, but from the other hand it’s very complicated.

I love cats! They are such gorgeous animals. They sure look like they’re enjoying all the attention and fussing from you and Chris! Its so cute how the white cats seem to love him and how the black cat loves you!

hah true, at least i can laugh about it now! should’ve seen the shocked looks of disbelief and shifty-eyes at me though, when i was playing. And chris trying to move sloowwwllyyyy to the back of the crowd, like “I dunno this crazy person”!!!

I am so, SO jealous that you can do this! I developed an allergy to cats as an adult, and I love them but can’t be anywhere close to them now, as they turn me into a sneezing, sniffling, watery-eyed mess. That’s awesome and inspirational that you are so involved in volunteering.

Such gorgeous kitties. I especially love the one snuggling in the cat bed you donated.

Reminds me of the extremely affectionate kitty we met at Yu Yuan when we were visiting Shanghai a few years back.

Looks like it was a warmish day, with Chris in a sweater sans coat.

i’m afraid that i go to Malone’s with you on the 7th I will return home with a doggie or kitty. I so much want to get a girlfriend for Symbi, but from the other hand it’s very complicated.