Summer 2023 Matching Appeal

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As you know, warmer weather often means an influx of cats and kittens and many, many calls for help. 2023 is shaping up to be a busy year and we need your support more than ever. 2022 was a record-breaking year for us with 653 intakes. As such, our resources have been significantly depleted and our volunteers are working tirelessly to raise funds through different avenues. So far this year we have held a HUGE online auction, had a very successful Easter bake sale, and have had members and groups in the Saskatoon community support us through other smaller fundraisers and events. Despite these efforts, SCAT has had to limit intakes to responsibly utilize the resources we do have available and make sure that the animals already in our care are provided for. So, we are asking for your help to help us save more lives.

We are thrilled to announce that your donations will be very generously matched, up to $25,000.00, by some of our most dedicated supporters: Tonya Kaye, Melissa and Melodi Kujawa, Heather Ryan and David Dubé, and the late Urve Linnamae. Thank you to these amazing people who have put resources behind SCAT time and again - we could not be any more grateful!

As always, we want to introduce you to a few of the crew whose lives you’ve helped to change through your generosity!

Morticia and Molly are two mama cats that came into SCAT’s care under different circumstances. Morticia was found by a member of the public and, not being able to find her owner and being concerned about her large belly, asked SCAT to help. After a short stay in foster care, Morticia gave birth to six kittens: Minerva, Mulan, Mundungus, Mario, Mowgli and Mikewazowski. All the kittens have now found their new homes and Morticia is waiting patiently for her turn!

Molly came in through SCAT’s rural TNR (trap-neuter-return) program. This program is meant to help reduce feline over-population by spaying and neutering cats in rural colonies or that live outdoors on acreages or farms. Before she could be spayed, Molly gave birth to five kittens: Aggron, Arceus, Articuno, Abra, and Aurorus. Three of those five have already found homes and Mama Molly has been spayed and returned to her caregivers where she can live out a peaceful life without ever having to worry about more babies.

Some babies don’t come in with their mamas or any family. As the first orphan of kitten season, little Yondu came into SCAT’s care on April 1, 2023. Don’t let the date fool you, caring for orphan kittens is no joke! These babies are some of the most vulnerable felines that rescues care for. SCAT is fortunate to have a dedicated and knowledgeable group of bottle fosters who are ready to open their homes (and incubators) at a moment’s notice during kitten season.

The sad reality of kittens born outdoors, is that the majority don’t live to see their first birthday. For one reason or another, Yondu and his five siblings were abandoned by their mother. By the time a Good Samaritan found him, he was the only one to survive. At only 88g, the odds of survival were stacked against him (but those odds don’t account for the tenacity of a SCAT foster!).

Yondu was a fighter, and much to his foster’s delight, he took to the bottle immediately. He was fed around the clock, eating every 2-3 hours for his first few weeks. Being such an efficient eater, he doubled in size within the first week!

Despite their small size, even the healthiest orphans cost a lot to feed. At minimum, they require specialized kitten formula, probiotics, adorable miniature feeding supplies, and eventually high-quality kitten food. These items are costly, but undoubtedly give these babies their best shot at a healthy start. Additionally, they also need the standard vaccines, microchipping, and deworming, however, sometimes, they can become critically ill and need specialized veterinary care and monitoring, which can get very costly, very quickly.

SCAT is responsible for covering the costs of all pre-adoption medical care for every cat and kitten in our program, as well as the spay or neuter of each of those cats, whether it be pre- or post-adoption.

Combine that with food, supplies, operations to manage intakes, vet appointments, adoptions (we completed 584adoptions in 2022!) and numerous other duties, and the bills add up swiftly. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to keep providing an essential resource to our community and are almost entirely dependent on donations, as we do not receive any federal, provincial, or municipal funding. While everyone involved is doing the best they can, we need to reach out to you, our amazing donors, to ask for assistance in getting us back to a place where we can continue to administer our services to as many cats and kittens as possible.

Your support is critical for us to continue the work that we have been doing for over twenty-five years; any amount you can manage would be most welcome. If you have recently donated, we are, as always, so incredibly grateful for your help. We could not do this work without your generous support!

Thank you and we wish you a wonderful summer!