“There’s a ‘cat condo’ on campus!” a co-worker told me a few weeks after our office moved to the Rockefeller campus this summer. I had to go and see it for myself. Inside a safety net, I found a few cat shelters with straw beds and plates for food, all underneath a staircase. I was overjoyed. Who was living here? And who was the wonderful human taking care of them? Could this be the same person who sends campus-wide emails about cats in need of adoption?

Confirmed: Her name is Kristen Cullen, and she rescues cats, fosters them, and sends those emails. Kristen has worked in the Rockefeller University Dean’s Office for thirty-one years. Her desk is decorated with cute costumed teddy bears and photographs of her loved ones—kitties included. When I stepped into her office to interview her about cat rescue, she exclaimed, “My favorite subject!” Kristen kindly sat down with me to share stories about her cats and how she’s turning her love into action. Our conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

YT: How did you begin your cat rescue? 

Kristen Cullen (KC): I started “trap, neuter, return (TNR)” in fall 2006. Under expert help, I helped my parents with a TNR project in their backyard. We spayed, neutered, and returned a total of eight cats to the yard. Some left the backyard, but those who stayed were adopted and cared for by us until my parents passed away. When my dad died, I took Finnegan, Petunia, and Midnight. Finnegan was king. He was the strongest argument ever that cats have a little soul in them. He communicated with his eyes and always posed for the camera.

There are really three aspects to what I do: rescue, which means getting adoptable or socializable cats off the street into homes; TNR; and feral feeding. 

YT: Is the campus cat one of the ferals you are feeding? 

KC: Yes, I feed Maeve, the campus cat, every weekday, and students feed her on the weekends and holidays. I bought three shelter boxes over the years, hoping she would use them, but she sits on top of them instead. She used to scout around to hunt mice and birds. Now she just snoozes during the day and waits for you to feed her and rolls around on the ground happily. She’s feral and not adoptable, but she looks happy and that’s probably because of the human contact. You just have to have patience and give it a shot. I suspect that someone dumped her here, but whoever did that had the good sense to spay her first. She loves Landmark Chicken Filets and Fancy Feast.

YT: Those are nice treats! Can you tell us about cats who were adopted by the RU community?

KC: I think there are a total of twelve of my rescue cats who live in campus housing. Rosemary, Penny, and Ollie were all adopted by students on campus, and they are my happiest adoption stories. Rosemary came to us bullied and full of bite marks and sores. And we didn’t realize how sick she was at first—a botched spay operation caused a massive infection and she almost died. But we took her to an emergency clinic, and after three weeks, she was all healed and super friendly. She has the most beautiful eyes and is a love bug. She was adopted by two RU students.

Penny and Ollie were the last two kittens to be rescued from my parents’ yard before the house came down. They are the most gorgeous bonded pair I have ever seen. I can’t imagine their lives without each other.  Rescue has consequences for these cats. You have to make the right decisions for them. 

Oh, we have to talk about Molly. Her previous owner fell down and couldn’t care for her anymore. They were going to have to bring her to a shelter if I didn’t find a home. But a wonderful person in the Rice lab adopted her at age eleven. That’s a really exceptional person. She hadn’t even met Molly and she’s like, “I’ll take her.” Molly had a wonderful last three years of her life in a big home with a loving family. Molly passed away of cancer this past summer. Makes me tear up to think about her. I will always be grateful for this adoption. 

YT: Who are the cats that are waiting for adoption?

KC: When we caught Slinky-Bear, he had a lacerated eyelid, likely from a fight, and a massive infection, but he has since healed and is gorgeous now. He’s a little too skittish, but there’s hope of adoption. Some cats don’t easily fit into a home environment but can thrive together in a safe place if there is shelter and a human caretaker.

Holly is a tiger tabby who was abandoned at a deli in Queens. She’s about a year old. Holly is such a sweet cat. She loves when I pick her up and hug her. She’s ready for adoption if anyone wants to give her a loving forever home.

YT: Any advice to people who are thinking about becoming a cat parent?

If you’re considering adopting a cat, try fostering first to see what it takes. You might want to get a sense of the cat’s personality—cats definitely have personalities that are very strong. If your friends have cats, visit them and hang out with them. Are you a cat person? I definitely was born a cat person. But if you love animals, you could be a cat person. It’s worth trying if you feel like you want one. Shelters are the best place to get cats from, like the Animal Care Center (ACC). More than one is great because they keep each other company. People think two cats require much more responsibility than one cat, but I don’t really think so. You should definitely try to foster since it’s not a long-term commitment. And if you can get involved with taking care of ferals and TNR, that’s also very helpful to create good colony communities for cats. TNR is essential. We need more colony caretakers.

YT: Finally, can you tell us about lucky cats who live (and have lived) at your home? 

The last year has been an extremely tough time for me. I lost three senior cats in seven months (Finnegan, 18; Petunia, 15; and Midnight, 12). I knew it was coming with Finnegan and Petunia, but not Midnight. An upper respiratory infection turned out to be a nasal/brain tumor. I was devastated and am still not over it. You don’t know how long they will be with you or what you will encounter with them along the way. It is really, really hard to say goodbye, especially to so many at once. I’m just lucky Finnegan lived to be 18. He just had the best little soul ever, the sweetest little heart that could communicate with you. I miss him so much.

A week after Midnight died, my friend rescued a three-month-old tortie trapped alone in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Queens. She had nowhere to go, so I took her. I named her Sally, and she is the most energetic goofball that I’ve seen in a long time. I needed the spontaneous joy again that a kitten who suddenly attacks a shower curtain can bring. Then, on the first Saturday in October, my friend and I rescued a six-week-old black kitten from the Home Depot lot. I named her Lottie. She really looks like Midnight and acts so much like Finnegan. I’d like to think that my parents sent her to me. Now, I have two eleven-year-old sisters and two kittens. All girls.

YT: Any thoughts you’d like to leave us with?

Thinking about Rosemary, who was beaten up and very sick before she was adopted by RU students. Now she gets dressed up for Halloween and Lunar New Year. It’s just very moving. You see so much sadness in rescue operations, but the happy stories just keep going, too.