The Rolls Royce of Cat Shelters…Right Here in Belgium!

(Lucie's first post!)
Anyone who knows me knows how much working at animal shelters means to me. There are some wonderful shelters at home run with devoted volunteers and supported by generous philanthropists; it’s no different here. The major exception, however, is the sheer size of the shelter where I’ve chosen to devote one day each weekend. It’s called “Animaux en Péril” (Animals in Danger) and it’s in the small town of Braine l’Alleud, just a 5 minute drive from our home in Waterloo.

Every Saturday morning, anywhere from 10 to 90 cats await me at the shelter. The first thing I had to get used to here was thinking up French names for the beloved felines who are awaiting a permanent home. It was hard enough choosing creative names in English when I volunteered at the shelters at home, let alone in FRENCH! The second thing was how hard I had to work once I got there. When you have to clean up after so many cats (the litter alone is CATastrophic!), it takes much longer to get that task done. Usually there are two volunteers who work in the “cattery,” but for the last three weeks, I’ve been going solo. I have to clean approximately 125 cubbies, refresh the many bowls of kibble and water, wash the floors both in the “cattery” and in the cats’ litter room (which is off the sleeping quarters), and ensure that food and drink are changed outside in the “kitty garden.” That leaves precious little time to socialize those kitties that might not be as personable as we’d all like. BUT, I do make time, even if it means having to stay a little later than normal.

In addition to the cattery, we have 2 quarantine areas, to care for the sick animals and to segregate the newcomers from the general population for 5 days. We have a fully equipped kitchen where the food for both the cats and the dogs is prepared, a laundry room, gift shop and cafeteria (with outdoor seating for the nice summer days), and a surgical theater where area vets donate some of their time to do the neutering and other more serious procedures. I’ll share more details next time!