Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenna Genovese-Mikula.
Hi Jenna, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey to becoming Director at The Blue Bell Foundation for Cats was anything but a straight line. I’ve had a passion for caring for animals since childhood and we always had pets around the house. But when it came time to choose a major in college, I made the practical decision to study accounting. I graduated from St. John’s University with an MBA in 2008 and spent the next 10 years working in corporate finance and accounting roles. I had a successful career, but I wasn’t happy with it and I couldn’t picture myself doing it for another 30 years before I reached retirement.
I relocated from New York to California in 2017 for one of my roles. The assignment was supposed to be a two year temporary relocation, but the universe intervened and I met my husband in California. He is an incredible person. He is also very direct. When we talked about how unfulfilled I felt with my career, he said, “Why don’t you just quit?” The thought had literally never occurred to me before, but when I heard that it really resonated. So I did quit. In December of 2018, I walked away from a promising business career to do…well I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do next! I love caring for animals and I love being in nature so I spent the next six months volunteering with organizations whose work aligned with my passions.
I found The Blue Bell Foundation by accident. I was working on a native plant restoration project in Laguna Canyon and one of the volunteer organizers told me about this amazing senior cat sanctuary. I couldn’t believe it and had to see it for myself. I arranged a tour with Susan Hamil, who was Director at that time. The moment I arrived, I knew this was a very special place. Two blue and white cottages sat in the middle of beautifully curated gardens. And inside those cottages were cats. Old cats whose owners had passed away or could no longer care for them. Old cats who were loved and treasured and given a home with everything a cat could want. Old cats who were happily living out their golden years. And then Susan told me the story of how this incredible place came to be.
Our founder, Bertha Yergat, was a pioneer in the concept of estate planning for pets. She originally opened Blue Bell as a cat boarding facility in the 1960’s. But as time went on, the boarding facility transformed into a sanctuary for homeless and relinquished cats. Bertha was dedicated to her cats and wanted to ensure they were cared for after she was gone. In 1987, she established a trust and named a Board of Directors. When she passed in 1989, over 200 cats, the property, and endowment assets became the non-profit Blue Bell Foundation for Cats. Her vision was that cat lovers would have a place for their beloved felines to ‘retire’ when their owners were no longer able to care for them.
I was hooked and submitted my volunteer application that day. I was volunteering for only a few weeks when they had a position open up for a Cat Caregiver. I was approached about the position and decided to give it a try. I had no professional animal care experience, but by that time I had been caring for my own cats (and various other pets) for over 20 years. I became a Cat Caregiver in May of 2019. The more time I spent at Blue Bell, the more I became committed to ensuring it had a sustainable future. I took on more responsibility and was promoted to Assistant Director in 2021 and Director in 2023. My business and financial background combined with my passions for cat care and Blue Bell’s mission have made me successful in this unique role.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been about as smooth as a cat’s tongue, which is to say, rough! Anyone who works in animal care can tell you it is a difficult job and you have to be prepared to give blood, sweat and tears. But it’s also a rewarding job. Each cat that comes under our care has a unique personality. They are dynamic beings, and everyday you have to adapt to whatever the day brings. In my role as Director, I have to take that approach not only with the cats, but with the staff, the facilities, our donors, and the broader community.
Some of the specific areas I’ve struggled with through the years are staffing, aging facilities, fundraising, and passing of the resident cats. Staffing a non-profit is always challenging and at Blue Bell the Cat Caregivers need a unique skill set and personality. All of the cats that live here are seniors and most of them have at least one health issue that requires daily medication or treatment. Our caregivers need to be compassionate, reliable, and detail oriented. They need to be able to medicate a cat in a home-like, free roaming environment. We limit the population to a maximum of 50 cats so it’s more manageable than in Bertha’s day, but that is still a lot of medication to administer.
The frame of the main cottage is nearly 100 years old now and like any old property, it needs maintenance. In the last two years, we have completed two major renovation projects, new roofing and new flooring, and multiple minor renovations (a few examples: replaced security cameras, repainting catios, new appliances). Any renovation is disruptive on some level for the resident cats and requires funding. Our income is serendipitous and we face rising costs like any other industry. Resident cats come to us with a donation, but it is never enough to cover the real cost of their lifetime care. Most of our funding comes from private individuals who believe in our mission. Some years we are lucky and receive a large donation from an estate settlement or other generous benefactor. Other years we rely on the interest earned on our endowment to cover operating costs. We are looking to grow the endowment to ensure our future, but it is challenging for a small non-profit with limited staffing resources to cultivate a donor base.
The greatest struggle, and the greatest reward, is the cats themselves. We only accept senior cats, which we define as 12 and above. We make a promise to their owners or their owners relatives/friends (whoever is placing the cat) that these cats are going to be loved, receive the best medical care, and enjoy a high quality of life. I mentioned above that each cat is unique and we have to figure out what fulfilling that promise means for each of them. Some are sweet and docile. They trust anyone and accept their medications and treatments with little fuss. Others might only trust one person and they will not tolerate the level of handling needed for successfully medicating. And there is every shade in between those extremes. I am the primary coordinator of veterinary care and work closely with our off-site veterinary team. I know the detailed medical history of every cat that has lived here since I started in 2019. I have seen miraculous recoveries and heartbreaking declines. This is a lifetime sanctuary so every story ends the same here: we move from disease management to palliative care, they reach a point where we can no longer give them quality of life, we make a decision for humane euthanasia to end suffering, and we send them over the Rainbow Bridge. Every one is painful and it never gets easier, but to me living in the shadow of death is a reminder that each day is a gift and we should fill our days with as much love as possible.
We’ve been impressed with Blue Bell Foundation for Cats, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Blue Bell Foundation for Cats offers loving and compassionate lifetime care for senior cats whose owners can no longer care for them. We are the leading cat retirement sanctuary, promising total peace of mind for cat owners and homelike, personalized care for the cats entrusted to us. At Blue Bell, cats live cage free in an immaculate home with expansive, fully enclosed catios amid beautiful gardens. Our Cat Caregivers provide individually plated meals and medical treatments. Our volunteers serve as cat companions, engaging them in enrichment activities like grooming and play. The houses are cleaned daily by our wonderful cleaning staff. Our exceptional veterinary team includes three general practitioners, a cardiologist and an internist, along with their supporting technicians and assistants.
Please visit our website or contact us if you are interested in learning more about estate planning for your cat.
What’s next?
Now that we’ve taken care of the major facilities renovations, our focus is going to be on updating our strategic plan and growing our endowment. The rise in cost of living over the past few years has had a significant impact on our annual expenses. Operating costs have increased 55% between 2021 and 2024. I’m grateful for any donation, but we need to educate people about the real cost of running a professional, responsible sanctuary. This is like an assisted living facility, but for cats instead of people. Think about how expensive human assisted living facilities are and you start to get a better idea of what we’re facing. We’re looking for donors who believe in the value of our mission and who want to make an investment to ensure the future of this amazingly unique place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bluebellcats.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bluebellcats
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/BlueBellFoundationforCats
