Katarina fell in love with kitties at an early age. Once she found Animal Friends Alliance, formerly Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic, she would ask her mother to take her there to see the kitties every chance she got. Once she turned 14 years old in 2017, she was able to sign up to be a volunteer. Ever since then, Kat has been one of our most amazing volunteers. She started out helping with Shelter Cat Care then quickly transitioned into other roles. She now helps with Advanced Shelter Cat Care and is a Medical Assistant. Helping out with exams and medications is not only interesting to Kat but something she loves doing to help the sick kitties. She finds epidemiology fascinating and since working with cats with contagious diseases, has found more confidence working with these tricky cases. 

Katarina has such a passion for animals and she enjoys being involved in helping people find their special fur baby. She has helped several of her friends find their kitty soulmate and she loves to go see them in their loving home. Over the years Kat has volunteered, she has seen the transformation many of the cats have gone through. She will never forget the time when a kitty came into the shelter with matted fur and a terrible infection in his mouth. With the help of our amazing medical team, she watched the kitty flourish, getting better and better everyday. She saw a picture of the cat with its new family looking better than she could’ve ever imagined. Seeing these transformations has been one of the most rewarding experiences for Kat. 

Back at home, Katarina has a dog and cat of her own that she adopted from Animal Friends Alliance. She adopted her kitty, Peaches, almost 12 years ago. Peaches finds a nice place to sleep in every corner of the house. She’s a talker and makes sure everyone knows when it’s time to rise in the morning. She also loves to lay with Kat when she’s reading a good book. Her one year old dog, Buck, is a mischievous little fella who likes to eat shoes. He loves to go on walks so when it’s time to head to the park he spins in circles with excitement. 

Being from Fort Collins, Kat is no stranger to having a love for the outdoors. When she’s not busy at school or the Cat Shelter, she’s out on walks or swimming. She also enjoys a good book with her fur babies by her side. Kat is currently finishing out her senior year at Poudre High School. Once she completes high school, Kat plans to head off to college to study Microbiology and Public Health in hopes of a career in Epidemiology.

Thank you Kat, for your amazing volunteer service and all the love and care you provide to our shelter cats! We are lucky to have you!