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Driving slowly through a quiet Rochester neighborhood to return two cats to their outdoor homes with local organization RocKats, we got a small glimpse into the community. A little boy, backpack slung over his shoulder, played in his driveway with an orange, eartipped cat before heading off to school. Another cat’s caregiver requested we return their community cat to the porch, so he’d “know he was back home.”

Sylvester and Green Eyes, our kitty cargo for the day, immediately darted into a hole in their caregiver’s fence when we lifted the door on their humane traps. We’d been given instructions on where to return them, and they certainly knew they were home, too.

U.S. census data has listed Rochester as one of the highest in overall poverty among the 75 largest metropolitan areas in the country. The neighborhood we were in was low income, yet the dedication so many residents have for their community cats was abundantly clear. But when a caregiver is struggling to even buy cat food, paying for full-cost spay or neuter surgery is out of the question.

To help meet the great need, Alley Cat Allies teamed up with Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester to start our Feline Frenzy^® in the area. Feline Frenzy’s goal is to provide services and community change to support Rochester residents and the cats who are their friends, neighbors, and family.

Our first Feline Frenzy event in April reached almost 100 cats and kittens with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), vaccination, and any other needed care—all before noon! Sylvester and Green Eyes were among those cats receiving critical care at no cost, all to make a transformative impact for this community.

Each of the 96 cats and kittens helped through our Feline Frenzy is because of YOU, our amazing and compassionate supporters. Feline Frenzy is powered by your generosity, and we need your support more than ever to strengthen this lifesaving campaign and reach more cats across the nation.

The post Feline Frenzy® Takes Upstate New York appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

As brave and strong as his God of Thunder namesake, beautiful lynx point Siamese cat Thor survived the historic tornadoes that tore through the Little Rock, Arkansas, area by taking cover beneath the accumulating debris. His fine-tuned feline instincts saved his life but, unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid a devastating injury to his lower jaw.

That’s where Alley Cat Allies, and our incredible supporters, came in. To help the feline victims of the tornado, we connected with Community Cats Global, just outside of Little Rock.

As rescuers dug through the rubble to pull out an exhausted, injured Thor, Alley Cat Allies finalized a grant that would cover the costs of his extensive care as well as that of many more cats and bottle baby kittens impacted by the disaster.

Alley Cat Allies’ disaster grants fund all necessary care, no matter how expensive the procedure. It was no question that we would cover the costs of the specialized surgery Thor needed to repair his jaw, as well as wound treatment and spay and neuter for other cats and the round-the-clock care neonatal kittens need to survive.

Just weeks earlier, we provided the same critical disaster funding to save cats’ lives in the aftermath of tornadoes in Mississippi. And at the end of April, we did it again after tornadoes in Oklahoma. Today, we stand ready to protect cats and kittens through all the disasters yet to come—and we rely on our supporters and donors to make it possible.

The Tiny Steps to Recovery,
One Paw in Front of the Other

Thor made it through surgery like a champ, but was stuck with a limited diet due to the wires inserted to help him heal. None of it dampened the can-do spirit that made him a well-loved member of his Little Rock community. We’re thrilled to say Thor braved his weeks of recovery and had his wires removed early this summer!

But Thor’s story was far from the only journey to recovery. Tornadoes at the peak of kitten season meant Alley Cat Allies’ disaster relief grantees had their hands full with tiny, vulnerable neonatal kittens. In Arkansas, our funding helped provide round-the-clock care that dozens of kittens needed to survive.

In Mississippi, Alley Cat Allies’ grant to Greenville Animal Clinic & Hospital, saved tiny tuxedo Nado and many more impacted kittens. Nado was just 4 weeks old when he was rescued from twisted metal and concrete left by the disaster. Our funding ensured he could be examined, treated, and cared for throughout his recovery.

Adorable as he is, Nado found his new family in short order!

Weeks later in Oklahoma, our grant to Tiny Paws Kitten Rescue provided that same critical care to kittens Poppy and Lily. The two little siblings were rescued after tornadoes and had painful eye infections.

Today, Poppy, Lily, and dozens of other kittens have not only come back from the brink of tragedy wrought by the tornadoes, but are on their way to many bright, sunny days ahead.

But the Work is Far from Over

Out of the rubble and into the arms of a new family! Thanks to Alley Cat Allies’ tornado relief grant in Mississippi, Nado was rescued, cared for, then adopted.

Disasters will strike again, and cats will need us. Your generosity empowers Alley Cat Allies to save lives when the worst comes to pass. For that, we cannot thank you enough.

Find more exclusive stories and photos of cats and kittens we saved this year with our disaster grants at alleycat.org/
tornado-relief/.

The post Tornado Watch appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

Cats who are declawed can suffer from lifelong pain and even life-threatening complications. We can’t restore a declawed paw—the damage cannot be undone. But surgery and the right pain management can alleviate cats’ suffering and help them truly live again. Alley Cat Allies is working with The Paw Project to provide that critical care.

Burrito

Fourteen-year-old Burrito looks like a million bucks today, but it was not long ago that he was in severe pain from being declawed on all four paws. That pain caused him to act “aggressively,” so he lost his home and was on the way to almost certain death in a shelter. But thanks to Alley Cat Allies’ grant to The Paw Project, Burrito received the right pain management and surgery to salvage his paws as much as possible.

Burrito’s “aggression” stopped almost immediately after being placed on pain medication and surgery to remove a large mass and bone shards left from his declaw. Now he’s a brand-new cat and is living his best life in his new home in Brooklyn, New York. Over a decade after his declawing, he’s finally comfortable.

Sammy

Sammy has come so far from when he was first found abandoned in an apartment complex, hunched over, sick, alone, terrified of people—and in horrific paw and back pain from being declawed on all four feet.

Thanks to Alley Cat Allies’ declaw salvage grant to The Paw Project—powered by our incredible supporters—Sammy received the surgery he needed to remove multiple painful bone fragments and treat abscesses in all 18 toes. Sammy immediately felt better after surgery and showed his true, sweet colors. No longer facing chronic pain and sickness, he blossomed into a bold and friendly sweetheart of a cat and was quickly adopted into a loving home with a new feline friend!

We have helped many more cats like Burrito and Sammy with declaw “repair.” But the only way to truly protect cats from declawing is to end the practice, once and for all.

Join us in our fight to Keep Cats’ Claws on Their Paws at www.alleycat.org/Declaw.

The post Declawing Almost Took Their Lives appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

Since Alley Cat Allies’ Boardwalk Cats Project® began protecting the cats living outdoors along the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey in 2000, the community has truly come together in compassion for their feline neighbors.Linda Richardson and her husband, Steven Korman, are among the dedicated people closely bonded with the Boardwalk Cats. Even more inspiring, they are major donors to Alley Cat Allies who are committed to ensuring the Boardwalk Cats—and all cats—can live happy, full lives.

Linda and Steven feeding Boardwalk Cat Sweet Boy.

“Alley Cat Allies is an extraordinary organization dedicated to its mission to make these cats’ lives safer and better,” says Linda, who is a lifelong advocate for cats and all animals. “[The Boardwalk Cats] are truly living their best life outdoors.”

And Linda would know—Boardwalk Cat Baby visits her all the time!

“She comes to me every day and does a little dance for her breakfast and dinner. I’m not able to pet her, but she comes right up to me,” Linda explains.

Steven, meanwhile, has a daily appointment with Boardwalk Cats Snickers, Elizabeth, and Sweet Boy and is their advocate and protector.

Alley Cat Allies is proud to have united the Atlantic City community around the Boardwalk Cats, and we are honored to have donors like Linda and Steven who make our work to build a better world for cats possible every day.

YOU can also make a true difference for cats with a gift of any amount at alleycat.org/Donate. Or consider leaving a long-lasting, lifesaving legacy with a planned gift at alleycat.org/PlannedGiving (CFC#10964) (EIN #52-1742079). For more information, call 866-309-6207.

Learn more about the Boardwalk Cats Project at
alleycat.org/BoardwalkCats.

The post Profile in Generosity — Linda and Steven appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

We may have provided spay and neuter, vaccination, and other needed veterinary care for more than 1,000 cats between June 2022 and May 2023, but we at Alley Cat Allies never rest on our laurels (and we know our supporters feel the same)! As soon as we crossed the 1,000-cat threshold in our work with the Humane Society of Atlantic County in New Jersey, we only had one thing to say: “Let’s help 1,000 more!”

So we cracked our knuckles, stocked the spay and neuter clinic, and set to work. We set a new goal to Trap-Neuter-Return 1,000 cats and kittens between May and October of this year—and we’re so close to the finish line.

And as with all of our work, providing greater access to veterinary care for the community’s cats is a top priority. Cats like Luna, who came into one of the clinic days half-blind and with potential drug exposure, are treated for as long as it takes them to recover as a built-in component of our grant.

Luna is doing amazing, undaunted by her disability, and is currently looking for her forever home. Thanks to our grants, nearly 2,000 more cats and kittens have also been spayed or neutered and vaccinated in Atlantic County since June 2022. On top of it all, our food bank in the county is helping dedicated caregivers provide for their community cats. That’s what we call impact!

And we’re already gearing up for the next logical question: “How about 1,000 more?”

The post 1,000 Cats Helped, 1,000 More to Come! appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

Saved by Alley Cat Allies veterinary grant.

Florida

With access to veterinary care more limited than ever, any step that clears the way for experienced veterinarians to provide volunteer services makes a massive difference. That’s why Alley Cat Allies supported a Florida bill to allow veterinarians from out of state to legally provide spay and neuter and other care. It passed this summer, and we couldn’t be more thrilled for all the cats and kittens it will help!

Texas

A new law passed in Texas recognizes Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) as a defense against cat abandonment claims, giving reassurance to caregivers and shelters who perform TNR that they are doing the right thing to help cats. Alley Cat Allies advocated in support of this law, and we’re pursuing stronger TNR protections in the Lone Star State!

One for Us

All Alley Cat Allies just earned the 2023 Platinum Seal with Candid as well as the coveted Charity Navigator 4-star rating for the 10th consecutive year—the organizations’ highest levels of recognition! These achievements are a result of Alley Cat Allies’ commitment to transparency in everything we do with our supporters’ donations. You can be confident that every gift you give us has a direct, lifesaving impact on cats and kittens!

The post Victory! Our latest victories to protect cats in legislation and beyond appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

On October 16, cat advocates and allies all over the world took incredible Global Cat Day actions for cats. We truly brought the heart of this year’s theme—Cats Are Community—worldwide!

Cats Are Community is a rallying call of this global truth: Cats have lived alongside people for thousands of years, have a place in our communities, and deserve to be protected.

But even with so much history together, cats still face cruel threats to their lives every day. That’s why every action, from holding a spay and neuter clinic to doing Trap-Neuter-Return to educating neighbors about cats, has a lifesaving impact.

There’s still time to celebrate Global Cat Day!

Tell us your cat’s story, find lifesaving resources, take an action for cats, and get your gear at GlobalCatDay.org.

Read Mikey’s story and watch his video at GlobalCatDay.org/Mikey
Read Leo’s story and watch his video at GlobalCatDay.org/Leo
Read Nimbus’ story and watch his video at GlobalCatDay.org/Nimbus

The post Thank You for Our Biggest and Best Global Cat Day® appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

A community cat in Maui on the way to a meal provided by Alley Cat Allies.

When historic wildfires swept through Maui, Hawaii, in August, Alley Cat Allies was on the ground immediately to provide critical emergency support for cats. Amazing survivors that they are, cats and kittens continued to emerge from the scorched earth and ash for weeks—but many needed urgent and ongoing aid.

In the tumultuous time following the fires, Alley Cat Allies brought food to cats outdoors in the devastated Lahaina area, as well as medications, vaccinations, kitten milk replacer, and other needed supplies for affected indoor and community cats. We flew a veterinary team to Maui to examine and treat multiple cats rescued from the fire zone and covered the costs of procedures from flea treatment to emergency dental care.

With our supporters by our side, Alley Cat Allies can continue our 33-year legacy of swift response for cats even through the most catastrophic emergencies. The Maui fires were not the first or last major disaster of 2023. Because of you, we always stand ready to save cats’ lives.

To get more information about preparing for disasters Click Here.

Received emergency dental surgery covered by Alley Cat Allies.

The post Protecting Cats After Maui Wildfires appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.

Your support of Alley Cat Allies has brought cats and kittens from the devastating grip of illness—or even the very edge of death—to a place of healing, hope, love, and new life. With so many inspiring success stories from this summer and early fall alone, choosing just a few to share with you in this newsletter was no easy task. So as you read, we want you to know: This is only a tiny sample of the lives you’ve helped us save!

Emporio’s New Groove

The only struggle a kitten should face is choosing between playing with a fun new toy or curling up in a sunbeam. But at not even a year old, Emporio’s mischievous, cuddly personality was fading day by day as he was wracked with seizures that impaired his sight and adventurous spirit.

Emporio has a condition known as a portosystemic shunt, which is an anomaly in his blood vessels that causes blood to be diverted around his liver rather than through it for detoxification. Seizures are a common symptom, as are a host of other medical issues that, if untreated, are deadly.

He needed specialized surgery to have the best chance at survival—and Alley Cat Allies ensured he received it through a grant to Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester. Now, with the right ongoing care, Emporio’s prognosis is positive—and he has many carefree days ahead of him!

We’ll let his foster caregiver, Allison, say the rest:
“Each day, Emporio is becoming more like his old self again. His favorite game is running to catch toys and balancing himself on the top of his scratching post like a circus elephant on a ball. He even has most of his vision back! He is now over a year old and, thanks to your generosity, has a long and happy life ahead of him.”

Two Lucky Charms

There’s a saying that “good things come in pairs,” and kitten siblings Clover and Charm certainly embody it! But despite their lucky names, good fortune isn’t the reason they can run, jump, and play to their hearts’ content today—the reason is due to generous people like you!

When Clover and Charm first came into Alley Cat Allies’ care as small kittens back in August, their eyes were crusted shut, and their tiny bodies were so weak with illness that they were limp. There were nights we worried they would not wake up in the morning.

But with top-notch, dedicated veterinary care—funded by our incredible donors—the brother and sister duo recovered little by little each day. And before we knew it, they were chasing each other around their playroom almost faster than the eye could follow—little streaks of inky black you would never guess were deathly ill days before.

Charm still has a cataract in one eye as a scar of her ordeal, but it doesn’t slow her down a bit. We think it just adds to her…charm!

It’s been our privilege to watch Clover and Charm grow into bright, playful kittens with boundless energy and our honor to have supporters like you at our side to make it possible. These two lucky kittens will be zooming their way through their forever homes for many years to come!

Snowball’s Chance

When Snowball, an indoor cat, was abandoned near the outdoor home of a local community cat colony last year, he had a storm raging inside of him.

The moment Alley Cat Allies received a call about the unexpected new arrival from the cats’ caregiver, we rushed the scruffy orange tabby to a veterinary clinic. The diagnosis: a urinary blockage, a critical condition that can become deadly—fast.

We jumped into action and provided Snowball with specialized surgery, which was a success but not the end of the story. For many months, Snowball struggled to recover. His health issues, and no doubt his abandonment, were taking their toll. His foster caregivers had to keep a sharp eye on his health and have the veterinarian on speed dial for many moments of setback.

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Hear from YOU!
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But through it all, Snowball never gave up—and his amazing foster caregivers were at his side the whole way. Today, after a long journey, we’re thrilled to say Snowball is finally thriving with no medical concerns. Even better, his foster caregivers took the leap and adopted him!

The post You Saved Their Lives appeared first on Alley Cat Allies.