Ready for adoption, Echelle is a loving, 10-year old.
What comes when you call, meets you at the door and follows you around the house? Think it’s your dog? Think again. One could just as easily be describing a Maine Coon cat. Under that enormous mass of beautiful fur is a loyalty that could put any dog to shame.
While some cat aficionados might hiss at the comparison of any cat to a canine, not Elaine Lyford. As Director of the Bay Area’ s Maine Coon Adoptions, Lyford is the first to tell you Maine Coons and Maine Coon mixes enjoy enormous popularity because of their extreme friendliness and desire for human companionship – traits most people generally associate with our canine companions – not to mention their playful personalities, charming tufted ears and big paws.
Lyford, who had grown up with cats, became hooked on the breed about seven years ago when she adopted a Maine Coon/Manx mix . Her enormous affection for her cat – and a personal experience saving a homeless mom cat and four of her kittens -- convinced her to get into rescue. In 2003, she volunteered with the national Maine Coon Rescue organization and a few years after that founded her own nonprofit Maine Coon Adoptions with headquarters in the East Bay. Since its formation, the group has placed over 900 cats across the state and at any given time will have 35 to 45 cats in foster care.
How to succeed in rescue business
While the economy has challenged every rescue and shelter, Maine Coon Adoptions placements have been holding steady. Last year, the organization placed 175 cats, down less than 20 from 2008. Since the beginning of this year alone, adoptions have reached 40 with an amazing run of 9 cats placed in just 10 days.
Chalk it up to a charming cat? That’s certainly a big part of the equation, but Maine Coon Adoptions also takes in other domestic cats including special needs and senior cats so there’s more to the organization's success than ‘product offering.’
It becomes clear when you talk to Lyford that Maine Coon Adoptions places an extremely high value on good organization and aggressive marketing. Not surprising since Lyford has many years of professional experience working for community and environmental change.
Maine Coon Adoptions volunteers have access to training, frequent networking functions and all the support they need while cats are in their foster care. Marketing covers all the bases – ads with photos of the cats taken by a professional photographer and written by a professional writer, YouTube videos, fundraisers and a popular newsletter. The group is also fortunate to have its own volunteer grant writer. A few years ago it received a grant from Maddie’s Fund to help older and special needs cats and also has received grants from Build-a-Bear and SanDisk.
Does all this mean that it’s a piece of cake or catnip for Maine Coon Adoptions – of course not. It’s a lot of hard work. But as Lyford says, “When you believe as we do that there is a home for every cat and we intend to find it, you have to try as hard as you can do things right and keep going.”
Some of Maine Coon Adoptions cats are featured with this article. If you want to find out more about the group – how to donate or get involved – visit: www.mainecoonadoptions.com.
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