In 2009, I informally started rescuing cats in response to a need in the community. Not only were all local shelters full to overflowing, but so was every shelter in the Hill Country. People were having to take animals to local animal control, which is a kill facility. I decided to set myself up as a last chance rescue. I found people on Facebook who were desperate to find homes, usually for unwanted litters. I asked them to do their best to find homes for them, and if they couldn’t, I would take them. I just didn’t want them going to a kill shelter. Word spread through the community and I started working with two other local organizations – a nonprofit TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release), and another rescue shelter that did discount spay and neuters. My priority was to make sure that every cat was fixed as soon as they were able. It’s a very important part of controlling local populations. While I also wanted to find good homes for these cats, it was more important to me to make sure they were healthy and happy and had a lifelong home in case forever homes could not be found. That is why this is called a ‘sanctuary’. It is a place where these cats can live out their lives in happiness and family with other cats. In the years that followed, I moved into a new house so that they could have their own cottage. I installed cat fencing which ensures the cats can enjoy the outdoors but still stay inside an enclosure they cannot escape from. They have no interaction with other animals and are not exposed to the deadly traffic on the roads. The yard is 3000 sq ft and the cottage is another 500 sq ft. I dedicated one room to incoming cats or sick cats that needed to be isolated. All rooms are air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter.
For all these years I’ve paid for everything myself. I’ve recently felt the need to step up some of my responsibility with their health as a result of incurring a $6000 vet bill in only 6 months. I’ve started teaching myself some basic vet medicine, including testing and treatment, as a way to hopefully keep down some of those vet costs. I also realized it was time to reach out to the community I had been helping for all these years. Your donations will a go a long way to ensuring these cats are healthy and happy, and even help them find some forever families. Not all the cats are adoptable, unless under very specific situations. For these cats I would like to offer virtual adoptions. You can read their profile and decide if you would like to contribute to their daily feeding and welfare and vet visits. These are cats who are all very cool and loving in their own right, but may have some idiosyncrasies or other behavioral ticks that make them more difficult to adopt out.
I want to make sure and have complete transparency with my donors on where their money goes. There is a page dedicated to a break down of what gets spent in a typical month and how much it costs to supply for each cat. Every single cent goes to their care and well being. I will never take a salary or any personal money for caring for these animals. I would just like help with covering the basic costs of caring for them. I hope you will be inspired to help.