Michelle DePrima shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Michelle, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Literally two days ago! Pledges are solicited through Facebook to encourage rescues to take less adoptable, ill, or injured cats out of Wichita Animal Services (the Wichita Shelter).
There is a 10-week-old black kitten who was hit by a car and has a broken pelvis and femur. The medical treatments required to fix him could add up to a lot of money. On top of that, he was “past deadline,” meaning he could be euthanized at any time.
I was considering taking him into Cats Pawjamas, but decided to take a short nap before I called the shelter and committed. During my nap, the pledges went from $700 to $1,000. I earned $300 while I slept!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the Founder and Director of Cats Pawjamas Rescue Society, a nonprofit cat and kitten rescue based in Johnson County, Kansas. We incorporated in 2020 and have no paid employees—we do this work purely out of passion for animals, especially cats.
Our mission is to rescue and rehome kittens facing death due to illness, euthanasia, or lack of shelter. Most require medical care before adoption, and we prepare them physically and emotionally for loving homes. What makes us unique is our focus on high-risk kittens—the ones most shelters can’t save.
I’ve been volunteering in rescue for 20 years, and stopped counting my fosters when I reached nearly 2,000. Right now, we’re especially focused on fund raising so we can continue to help the neediest of them all and advocating for less state interference in animal welfare standards in Kansas.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I would become a veterinarian.
The reality of 4 more years of school, the cost and the learning techniques used at the time made the case for a different career path.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
In regard to rescue, I think anyone that is heavily involved has quit at least once, sometimes more.
I have posted my “Sad to day Goodbye” post at least 4 times in 20 years. It’s not all fluffy puppies and kittens.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
In regard to life, Quality over Quantity.
In rescue, we face life and death decisions far more often than the general pet owner. It’s never easy, but I am clear on the criteria to apply when making these decisions: Quality of Life is more important than Quantity.
My belief is that some animals suffer longer than necessary because the owner is only thinking about themselves.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Working my “real” job.
I’m an IT Project Manager and have spent my entire career in the corporate world. Some days I feel satisfied and appreciated, but the work that truly fulfills me is rescue. My internal satisfaction comes from working with animals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.catspawjamas.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatsPawjamas
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@catspawjamasrescuesociety?si=owWeRKD7npCftUqT
- Other: Venmo – @Cats-Pawjamas
Image Credits
Michelle DePrima
