NOTES FROM OUR FOUNDER

WHY? As a mother of a special needs child I, Jen Kuyt, fully understand the financial burden and family sacrifices that come with the territory. I am not a therapist by any means, but a parent that understands what it’s like to work with children at their level. By combining my life long passion for felines along with my understanding and compassion for people, I felt convicted to reach out and create Country Cat Lady. CCL should not be looked at as an alternative to traditional therapeutic options, but a support system to the client and family where we can work on goals already established for the clients: occupation therapy, speech therapy, mental health awareness, and more! My goal is to support others with understanding and unconditional love, one purr at a time.

HOW? Flash back to Fall of 2017…..

Well I can’t believe that this idea of therapy cats that came to me sitting in church is really going to happen. You see, our pastor gave us a challenge to use our loves, hobbies, and interest as a way to access and engage with people. Using talents, and resources that God has blessed us with to create relationships with others.

I knew right then and there that my way to people was with cats. Yes, cats. You see there have been many changes in my life over the years. I have changed from being a kid and turned into an adult. I became a wife at 19 to the best husband in the world, a mother at 24 of a special needs child who has taught me more then any adult ever has. I was blessed with a second child at 28 who has been by my side even encouraging me on my bad days and becoming my lifelong friend. I have had dabbled a couple hobby business, started hundreds (thousands) of craft projects and even finishing a few. I have lived in 4 different houses, moved 5 times and only had one company that gave me a paycheck thanks to my dad. The changes in my hair styles, well let’s say I have loss track of that years ago along with the many clothing styles and trends. But over the years two things have stayed true to my heart. My need for Jesus Christ to lead my life and my obsession of cats. So at the age of 36 when I was sitting in church being challenged to reach out and create relationships with others I knew that cats was my answer.

Let’s back up a little, the idea of cats was already on my mind that day, as they are every day. On the way to church I saw 3 in fields mousing and it made me remembered the joke I made to my husband as we were looking at our dream home in the country that we just moved into. The joke that he could have the big barn and do whatever he wanted to with it as long as I could get the garage next to it and fill it with cats. His non-thought-over answer was “sure you can do that.”

Well there is one thing that you don’t give a Steensma (my maiden name) unless you really mean it, that is permission to do something crazy, because it will happen. I had no idea how it would happen but I was determend it was going to happen.

So here we are 2 years later and my crazy idea of interacting with people using cats is off and running. I am so blessed that I get to spend every week enriching others lives just by sharing the love of a cat.

Jen Kuyt founder of Country Cat Lady - 2019