PORT ST. LUCIE PEOPLE
tized. One came in with 26 stab wounds, another mangled
after being used as bait in a dog fighting ring, and she even
received one that had been cruelly sexually abused. Most are
simply abandoned and discarded like trash on the side of the
road or born into the wild to fend for themselves. They come
in frightened, hungry and defensive.
“These cats are not used to human contact when they are
brought here,” Whistler explained. “They have never been
petted or loved and have no idea how to trust. They are more
than feral, they are downright mean. But with gentle coaxing
and a lot of love, we rehabilitate and socialize them so that
they can be adopted into a forever home.
“I didn’t start out as a cat rescue,” Whistler said with a laugh.
Port St. Lucie Magazine 51
CINDY WHISTLER
Age: 69
Lives in: Port St. Lucie
Family: Husband and three children
Education: School of hard knocks
Hobbies: “I just love my furry
kids so I’ve made my hobby collecting
unwanted cats.”
What inspired me: “Animals are so innocent and pure. They
are my biggest inspiration. But I am also inspired by anyone
who opens their hearts to help others and those who follow
their dreams regardless of what others think.”
Something most people don’t know about me: “Before I
moved to Florida I fostered hundreds of children in Queens,
New York.”
FORT
PIERCE
>> A rescue kitty helps Whistler as she works in her flower shop.
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