Nobody should have to choose between caring for themselves and caring for cats. That’s why Alley Cat Allies works closely with amazing organizations and advocates to provide critical veterinary care, cat food, and more through our Cats Are Family Too™ program. In doing so, we are
Keeping Families Together™—including ensuring caregivers can continue to help community cats!
This week, we were on the ground in Asheville, North Carolina, with local nonprofit organization Friends2Ferals to return community cats who represent just some of the many cats and kittens who will benefit from our latest Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and cat food bank support in the area. The community is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, so having a resource for no-cost veterinary services and more is an incredible relief to so many.
We’re very proud to be that resource with Friends2Ferals. And we’re just getting started!
When Hurricane Helene first tore a devastating path up the U.S. southeast, Alley Cat Allies connected with local organizations rescuing animals amid the chaos and fast-tracked in emergency supplies to save lives.
But though the disaster has mostly fallen out of headlines, recovery is a long and winding road. Many people from Georgia to North Carolina are still trying to rebuild what was lost. Caring for the cats they love at the same time is now a significant financial challenge.
It’s under this sort of pressure that Cats Are Family Too is the greatest lifeline. By covering the costs of care for cats and working closely with the organizations and advocates who know where to focus those resources to have the greatest impact, we can bring help exactly where it is most needed. The biggest need: the usual spay and neuter and TNR. Most caregivers can’t feasibly bring community cats to private veterinarians and pay full cost for a spay in the best of circumstances, let alone when their power is still spotty at best in the aftermath of an emergency. Local resources and networking are key, and Cats Are Family Too bolsters both.
When a community can come together to bring low-or-no-cost resources to cats and their caregivers, all benefit.
“To get this funding from Alley Cat Allies so we can work with different vets every week to help these cats…we can’t even explain how important it is. People have had their lives changed [by Hurricane Helene], and going to a private vet is out of the question,” said Nancy Schneiter, director of Friends2Ferals. “The food is also fantastic because we provide food to a lot of people who are willing to care for the animals and love the animals, but can’t afford the expense.”
Learn more about Alley Cat Allies’ Cats Are Family Too program. We’re bringing this program, and our expertise, to communities across the country and beyond in 2025, so keep watching us on alleycat.org and on social media for updates!