This year has been a challenging one for everyone—Ten Lives Cat Rescue included. With traditional events and fundraisers cancelled, we have had to become more creative in everything we do, from how to raise funds to save cats, to introducing cats to potential adopters. We are now more than eight months into the pandemic and are proud to say we have continued to grow as a rescue and save lives, despite reduced funding and resources. Our team has worked tirelessly to adapt and develop new protocols so we could continue to rescue cats, find them loving homes, and provide Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) services. At the time we published this blog post, we have been able to foster 305 cats in 2020, and 242 of them have since been adopted into loving, forever homes. We have TNR’d 19 cats, and we even launched a voucher program to further reduce barriers for spay and neuter services!
With traditional events and fundraisers cancelled, we need your help more than ever.
On Tuesday, December 1st, we will be participating in #GivingTuesday; a global day of giving and supporting the non-profits you love. This year, Facebook is matching up to 7 million dollars, and thanks to a very generous donation from Ten Lives Board Director, the first $4,000 donated to us on Giving Tuesday will have three times the impact!
Here are some of the cats your Giving Tuesday donations will help:
Burroughs
Rescued from a hoarding situation earlier this year, Burroughs was part of a litter of two. She and her sibling were born under a couch at the time, which turned into a difficult rescue for Providence Animal Control. Burroughs’ mom was a kitten herself at the time, and had a hard time being a mom. As a result, Burroughs’ foster had to bottle feed her and her sibling to keep them alive alive. Burroughs has been in and out of the hospital since she was a baby. She started with respiratory issues and pneumonia. She has had ongoing gastrointestinal issues that have required a lot of specialty care, such as overnight stays, medications, repeated veterinary visits, consultations with specialists, and diagnostic imaging. While Burroughs she seems to be improving, she still has a long road ahead of her. She also has a hernia that needs to be repaired.
Dash
You may have read Dash’s story from her Forgotten Feline Spotlight. Dash has been in our foster program since January 2020, and she currently needs a major hernia repair that is estimated to cost $3,000. Dash’s ongoing care has been costly to the rescue this year, but like all of the cats in our care, we feel she is worth every penny.
Finn
One of our newest fosters, Finn, was living outside in Providence with his three siblings and mom. Sadly, before we could trap Finn and his family, one of his siblings disappeared. Finn’s mom is feral, so she was TNR’d. Finn and his sibling were brought into our foster program. Finn has a congenital deformity of his legs—he is built and walks like a kangaroo. He also has a grade III heart murmur. In addition to his regular vetting, Finn needs a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon for his legs, and then he will need a consultation with a cardiologist for his heart murmur.
Tom Tom, Snickers, Oreo, Anastasia, and Izzie
While Tom Tom and Snickers have been adopted into their forever homes, if our vet determines that a cat needs a dental examination or surgery during our vetting process, we feel like it’s our responsibility to take care of it. We’ve paid for 20 dental surgeries in 2020, and will be covering Tom Tom, Snickers, Oreo, Anastasia, and Izzie’s, as well. On average, dental surgeries cost between $400 and $800, depending on extractions and severity of dental disease.
Oreo is available for adoption, and is able to go to his forever home before his dental surgery. Anastasia and Izzie are currently not available for adoption, and are being loved and cared for in their foster homes.
How Can You Help Us Raise Needed Funds to Continue Our Live-Saving Mission?
- Start your own Facebook fundraiser and ask your friends and family to support your favorite rescue.
- On Tuesday, December 1st, donate to our Facebook fundraiser so that your donations are matched and we get 100% of the funds—there are no hidden fees!
- Donate on our website at any time and note that your donation is for Giving Tuesday.
We know this is a challenging time for many people in the community, and we are so appreciative of our supporters’ continued generosity. No matter how much you’re able to give, your gift will help us fund needed medical expenses for cats like Burroughs, Dash, Finn, Tom Tom, Oreo, and Snickers. Your gift will also help us continue save lives in the years to come.