Running for cats like cloud
“Cloud saved me. I truly believe that. And it was a cat who did that.”
Kareem volunteers with Cat Town as a Sunday host and weekday cat socializer, but his connection to our mission runs much deeper. This year, he’s also fundraising for Cat Town through the Boston Marathon — an opportunity he chose to dedicate to cats who need a second chance. We sat down with volunteer Kareem to learn more about this generous decision.
Cat Town: You volunteer with Cat Town. How do you help out here?
Kareem: I do two things. I volunteer as a host on Sundays, and I also come during the week to help cats acclimate to human touch — playing with them, spending time with them.
Cat Town: Have you always loved cats?
Kareem: No, actually! Growing up, my family had dogs. The reason I got a cat to begin with was because I was going through a hard period in my life. My parents were getting divorced. My grandfather passed. All my friends were leaving grad school. I was really down, and I needed some company. I didn’t have room for a dog and I like to try different things. So I did my research and decided to get a cat.
Cloud begging for treats.
Cat Town: How did you pick your first cat? How did you know they were the right one for you?
Kareem: He chose me. I went to a shelter in Florida thinking I was going to pick out a female cat, sat down on the floor, crossed my legs, and this orange cat just walked up to me. He meowed, jumped in my lap, and just looked at me. I adopted him and named him Cloud.
When I first got him home, I worried that it wouldn’t work out. I wasn’t used to having a cat, so I actually took him back to the shelter. Looking back, he was just acting like a cat. Then I started dreaming about him. So I went back and brought him back. From that point on, he was the best cat I ever had. Everyone who met him loved him too.
Cat Town: What made Cloud so special as your first ever cat?
Kareem: He always wanted my attention, but Cloud would put on this show for people that he didn't know, and make his eyes look big and pitiful so people would give him treats. And then as soon as he got the treat, he would run off! But once he got to know you, he would let you touch him and play with him. Cats get a bad rep for being aloof, like they don’t get attached to people. Cloud taught me that’s not true. He had this green plush toy, and every so often he would just bring it to me. No matter where I was — on the couch, in bed, anywhere — he’d bring it to me. I later learned that’s one way cats show affection.
I actually got him a playmate a few years later named Yuna. A Maryland shelter was giving her away. Nobody wanted to adopt her. The shelter was waiving fees. That really shaped how I think about older cats, because everybody wants kittens, but they don’t realize all kittens grow up to become cats. Cloud and Yuna bonded deeply. They groomed each other, ate together, slept together. If one couldn’t find the other, they would cry and call out.
Cloud and Yuna.
Cloud ended up passing first. He died of cancer. It was my first time having to make the decision to euthanize a cat. I was by myself. I was crying. Yuna was crying. I made two decisions. One, I was going to keep talking about Cloud so he could continue to live through me. And two, I wanted to help cats. I want people to realize the joy a cat can bring into someone’s life.
Cat Town: What made you choose to volunteer with Cat Town as part of your promise to help cats?
Kareem: Cat Town helps at-risk cats. Adult cats, cats with challenges — cats who are more likely to be overlooked. That really appeals to me. They deserve good homes, and they help people live better lives. That’s why I wanted to dedicate this Boston Marathon run to Cat Town. When I was given the opportunity to run for a charity, the only thing I could think of was helping cats find good homes. Cloud saved me. I truly believe that. And it was a cat who did that.
Today, Kareem shares his home with two cats, Terra and Iggy, and continues to show up for Cat Town’s cats — both in the adoption center and on the road, one mile at a time. By supporting Kareem’s fundraiser, you’re honoring Cloud’s legacy and helping more cats find the homes they deserve.
Cloud and Yuna.
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