Mr.Frisky

Mr. Frisky was my first rescue. He was a street cat who showed up about a week after the Holidays. I suspect he was a “gift” to someone who didn’t want him, because no one in the neighborhood had ever seen him before. He was so friendly and so hungry and thin, I opened a can of  albacore tuna and gave it to him. He ate the whole thing so fast I was afraid he’d get sick. He finished eating and sat down to wash his face. It was clear he had no plans to leave!

Over the following weeks I continued to feed him and give him a place to sleep. I went door to door and put up flyers, notified local shelters and rescues, veterinary clinics. He had no microchip, no collar, and no one in the neighborhood had ever seen him before that week he showed up at my house. 

It became clear he was here to stay, so it was off to the Veterinarian for exam, vaccinations, neuter, microchip, the works!  The Veterinarian declared him a Russian Blue mix of approximately 1.5 years of age, male (which had been obvious being un-neutered), and in good health. I named him Frisky because he was very playful and it was also the brand of food he liked best.

Over the next several weeks, it became clear who was in charge (not me). I filled his fancy new water bowl twice daily but it was rarely used as he insisted on drinking out of my water glass instead. If I slept past morning treat time (I kept dry food out all the time for grazing), he would grab a mouthful of my hair and pull it to wake me up. We ate dinner together and had long conversations. As long as I talked, he mewled back. He would sit regally to survey his new domain in the evenings, and it wasn’t long before he became Mr. Frisky or The Czar.

As he aged, he still remained very Royal, and was never a fan of being held. He preferred sitting on me or laying on the pillow just above my head while I slept. Up until he was 15 he continued to race around the house with his toys. As he aged towards 19, the arthritis in his hips slowed him down and he preferred laying in the sunshine patches by the window, or on the heating pad with the dog.

He passed away a few weeks before his 20th birthday, of just plain old age. He’d been a part of my life for 18 years. He was such a force, such a personality, I will never forget him. When I started this Organization, it seemed appropriate to name it in his Honor.

Even as a child Lauren was always helping strays and neglected, abused animals. As an adult she began volunteering at animal shelters and rescues, doing everything from cleaning cages, to repairing roofs and fences, giving out treats, and taking dogs for walk. She even learned how to do Vet Tech assistance work! Eventually she was creating and running Volunteer programs along with planning and hosting fundraisers.

Lauren's rescue focus has always been on special needs cats and dogs: hospice cases, elderly, high medical needs, neglected, abused, or given up on by the people they depended on to care for them.

Lauren also advises shelters and rescues on animal care and volunteer programs, and speaks at schools and civic fairs about the humane treatment of pets. She has also been on the radio and podcasts talking about animal care and rescue.