Christopher Mancuso

From cleaning kennels to becoming the East Coast Foster/Adoption Manager of Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue and everything in-between, I’ve worn a lot of hats in pet rescue. I started volunteering with a local animal rescue in 2014 by using my videography and editing skills to produce some web content for the organization’s website. While filming, not only did I meet some dedicated volunteers, I also met some wonderful cats and kittens in need of homes. One such kitten was a little black furball, recovering from a broken leg. We adopted him in time for Christmas.  After speaking with my wife, Cathy and I decided to become regular rescue volunteers.  From screening applications and conducting home visits to rescuing abandoned kittens off the streets and long-distance transport, I volunteered help with whatever the rescue needed.  

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Catherine expressed an interest in fostering, and while I was hesitant at first, I eventually agreed. Over the last decade my wife and I have fostered around 300 cats and kittens at Hotel Mancuso That’s a lot of VIPs! Some of our guests were only booked to stay for a night or two, while others stayed longer, anywhere between a few weeks to several months.  The length of stay depended on the needs of the individual cat.  Whether addressing medical problems or behavioral issues, we’ve always done our best to accommodate our guests with tailored, priority service.  

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Fostering was the best learning experience for me, and it still is in a lot of ways.  Every cat is unique and has something to teach me. Not only about Cat World, but also about myself. I’m a diligent student, but some lessons had to be learned the hard way. My resolve was forged in fur and tempered with hisses. But it wasn’t always so.  The first time I experienced fostering a kitten with ringworm, I panicked. The adorable little guy had already passed a ten-day isolation period and was interacting with our cats by the time the round patch of missing fur on the appeared on our guest.  As you may or may not know, ringworm is highly contagious. When I saw ringworm on VanDuzer’s ear, I knew. I wasn’t prepared for this! Did I mention that ringworm is also contagious to people? My wife panicked. In that moment, the cats were unconcerned, however the resident Overlords would not be happy when they found out what was coming – Lime-sulphur dip treatments for everyone! It would have been easy to give up, but we made a commitment to the kitten, and to the rescue. Yes, it was wildly inconvenient, and I put up the No Vacancy sign. The hotel was permanently closed! Every few days, we’d have to go on a safari through the hotel, hunting down cats down one by one to make them smell like rotten eggs. I told you they wouldn’t be happy, didn’t I?  It was a stressful month, but life went on. As you can guess, the doors to Hotel Mancuso were open again once it was fully eradicated of invasive spores. Through research, and support from the rescue, I learned how to handle those situations, while keeping my own cats safe. Soon, Cathy and I started volunteering to foster at-risk “ringworm cats” because no one else was available. I was confident that our updated isolation protocols would prevent future outbreaks, but even if we did suffer from another bout of ringworm, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Not stepping up, however, would surely be the end of the four kittens immediately needing foster placement. And for something that is totally treatable. I mean, what is ringworm really? It’s basically the felion equivalent of athlete’s foot.  Cathlete’s foot. Yeah, dealing with it was a pain in the fluff, but that inconvenience weighed against the alternative? The choice was made without hesitation. This time we were prepared; the fungus among us was contained and treated. The fur-brigade remained safe. Once cured, the four kittens all went on to find forever homes.  Flawless victory.

 

Having gained confidence in our ability as fosters, Cathy and I began offering to work with cats needing socialization.  Before long, I was counseling new foster-parents dealing with medical or behavioral situations, not only with advice, but empathy and moral support.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My wife and I have a soft spot for the cats with disabilities. It started with a foster-to-adopt four-week old kitten with moderate-severe Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH). Colloquially referred as “wobbles syndrome,” CH is a neurological disorder that affects cats much the same way Cerebral Palsy afflicts people. Khaleesi required extra care, needing daily baths, and for safety precaution, we added padded bumpers into her crate to keep her from getting injured when she fell over, which was often. None of that stopped Khaleesi from trying to walk, or play.  Sadly, several weeks later she succumbed to panleukopenia, but her short time with us had a deep impact on our lives.  To honor Khaleesi’s memory, we vowed to help more cats with CH, and other disabilities. Since that time, we have cared for blind cats, deaf cats, cats diagnosed with diabetes, varying severity of Cerebellar Hypoplasia, three-legged cats, super-seniors, neonates, and even fostered a kitten with rear paralysis, whom we eventually adopted.