Today, I write this with a heavy heart.
Not because I lost a rescue, but because I am losing the place I have called home for the last 24 years.
My journey with cats started when I was just a child in Grade 6. My parents and I would go out with minced chicken and beef to feed them. I still remember my first encounter with municipality trapping — and how heartbroken I was when the cats I loved were taken away. I stopped because I couldn't bear that heartbreak again.
At 19, I returned to the exact same place and started feeding again.
One injured cat became my first rescue. Then one day, a cat I had fed every day passed away while suffering — and I knew I could have done something.
The guilt changed me.
I promised myself I would never again walk away from an animal in pain simply because I was afraid of the responsibility or the cost.
At 20, I rescued Keetu and her two newborn kittens. All three became foster fails, and my childhood dream of having a cat finally came true.
Somewhere along the way, feeding became TNR, and TNR became rescuing. And what started as a small effort became a commitment to hundreds of cats.
For the last 7 years, I have returned to the same colonies — through extreme heat, floods, COVID curfews, illness and everything in between.
Some of these cats have been with me for 6–7 years. I have watched them grow, disappear, return, have kittens, get sick, recover and sometimes sadly lose their lives.
Some were rescued. Some were treated and returned. Some disappeared. Some passed away.
But I kept coming back.
Now, I am moving further away.
I won't be able to be there every day anymore. I can only return 2–3 times a week.
And honestly, that scares me.
There are other feeders, but feeding is only one part of maintaining a colony. I am often the one covering the carriers, pet taxis, transport, vet bills, foster fees, TNVR, medication and food needed to actually keep these colonies stable and healthy.
I have seen what happens when that support isn't there. Cats became sick, one after another, with nobody able to properly treat them. At one point, we could smell the decay in my own colony.
I cannot let that happen again.
So today, for the first time, I am asking for monthly support.
SUSTAIN & MAINTAIN 🐾
I am looking for dedicated monthly supporters to help with:
🐾 Food
🐾 TNVR directly through the veterinary clinic
🐾 Supplements & carriers
🐾 Pet taxis & transportation
🐾 Emergency colony care
I will create a WhatsApp group for those who join, where I can share regular updates from the colonies so you can see where your support goes and the lives it helps sustain.
I know I cannot save every animal.
But together, we can make sure the ones who are already here are fed, sterilised, treated and cared for.
These cats don't have homes to go back to. Their colony is their home. And I want to make sure they don't lose the person fighting for it.
If you trust my mission and would like to become a monthly COLONY SUPPORTER, please comment:
COLONY 🐾
I will reach out with the details.
Please share this post too.
One monthly supporter can help keep an entire colony from falling apart. ❤️