Michelle Hartsfield could also be a trainer by day, however in her spare time she’s taking good care of her different kids — her cats. Over the years, Hartsfield has volunteered to assist animal rescues in Leon and Wakulla counties.
“Throughout my life, I’ve always loved animals and would do a little rescue here and there,” Hartsfield stated.
Born and raised in Tallahassee, Hartsfield has labored as an artwork trainer in Leon County for over 25 years. Hartsfield at the moment teaches laptop graphics.
The ardour Hartsfield has for animals isn’t remarkable. Many individuals care about serving to animals who want new houses. Hartsfield stated she began to give attention to cat rescue after a dialog she had years in the past.
“I can remember this specific incident where one lady said that the cats really need more help. People are really into dog rescue, not a lot of people are into cat rescue, and I said OK I can switch gears,” Hartsfield stated.
While working with rescues within the space and volunteering the place she may, Hartsfield had an thought for a cat cafe, a place the place individuals can go to and meet with the adoptable cats and seize a fast snack on the identical time.
“It was very minimal at first, but we opened Fat Cat Cafe in August of 2017, right before the school year started,” Hartsfield stated.
In 2019, Hartsfield realized that her rescue work might be included right into a non-profit organization, so she created one, Feline Advocates of Leon County (FALC). Hartsfield serves because the president and founding father of FALC.
“At this point, we were able to fundraise and receive donations and all these things like grants, and so since then, it’s just blossomed and boomed, and it’s been amazing,” Hartsfield stated.
With the opening of the non-profit, Hartsfield and her staff nonetheless run Fat Cat Cafe. They work with different rescues within the space, like Companion Animal Rescue Endeavor (CARE) and Extended Circle Animal Haven (ECAH), to convey cats into their cafe so guests can undertake them. Hartsfield stated there’s nonetheless extra work to be achieved in different communities.
“One thing that I’ve grown to realize and that I believe is that we can rescue cats all day long, and if we run out of cats in Tallahassee, we can always go to the rural communities and cities all around us,” Hartsfield stated.
Hartsfield stated they use a method referred to as lure, neuter and return to assist the variety of homeless cats on the road.
“There are cats suffering daily on the streets and in shelters and rural communities all around us, and the solution really is trap and neuter and spay and neuter. We’ve really grown and developed our trap neuter vaccinate return program within FALC,” Hartsfield stated. “Our mission is to end suffering with all animals and we believe spay and neuter is the key to that.”
The Fat Cafe isn’t the one spot to fulfill the cats. Fat Cat Books is a bookstore and rescue heart. The bookstore is an adoption heart for the older, senior cats that FALC and its rescue companions have of their care.
“Yes, I love that we have a safe haven for the older kitties and just that we have a second adoption facility. It shows how much growth we’ve had,” Hartsfield stated.
All of the books the bookstore receives are donated, so earnings from promoting the books contribute to the cats’ medical care and wishes.
“So, when people donate books, other people come in and buy them, all that money turns around to pay all of our overhead and medical bills that we incur,” Hartsfield stated.
Melissa Blake, one of many administrators on the FALC board, stated that working alongside Hartsfield is inspirational.
“It’s very motivating to be around her, and you know, every time I’m around her in a rescue perspective, I feel like I learn so much. Her selflessness, you know, for the cats, she would drive to the other side of town if she had to just to see about a cat,” Blake stated.
Another member of FALC’s staff is Gisele Poitras. Poitras serves on the FALC staff because the foster coordinator, board member, adoption coordinator and secretary. Poitras stated that working with Hartsfield is unbelievable.
“It’s hard to put into words how incredible she is and how great she is at steering our ship. We call her our ‘ship director, our captain.’ Our whole board jokes about that because she keeps us all on track. We’re a relatively big group of volunteers, and she manages it all with ease,” Poitras stated.
Adopting a cat from Fat Cat Cafe or Fat Cat Books is straightforward. Visit a rescue heart to fulfill the available kitties, or examine on-line for available cats. Then, fill out an software on the web site or inside one of many rescue places.
“Once we approve an application and they adopt, we have an amazing follow-up process,” Hartsfield stated. This follow-up course of ensures that the cats are checked up on to see how they’re adjusting to their new houses.
“It gives us an opportunity to continue to educate and make sure that everything is going well medically. If we need to step in, we can help for the first few weeks and then just know that it’s all working out. Our adopters always know that we’re there for them. It’s just a real feel-good process,” Hartsfield stated.
Hartsfield’s work for the group and felines doesn’t go unnoticed. Hartsfield and her staff of devoted volunteers save over 300 cats yearly, and he or she plans to extend the variety of cats saved as Fat Cat Cafe, Fat Cat Books and FALC develop.
Fat Cat Cafe is situated at 2901 East Park Ave., and Fat Cat Books is situated at 615 Railroad Square, Unit 5.
