Giving Back To Cats In Need
When I found and adopted my first cat Trooper, I began to learn the very sad plight of cats - namely, the extreme over population problem combined with a lack of forever homes. In Florida, "kitten season" is almost year round due to the warm weather, which makes the problem even worse.
When I moved into my home, the neighborhood was overrun with cats that needed to be spayed and neutered. I started my own TNR (trap-neuter-return) operation, paying for it myself, until I was able to find discounted rates and even some free local spay and neuter programs. I began feeding and setting traps, and now things are under control. When the occasional stray travels through, I can easily trap them with some sardines. (see pictures below)
I also have many wonderful friends who manage and feed colonies of stray cats. I never realized how many volunteers are "in the trenches", feeding, trapping (sometimes in the middle of the night) and fostering these kitties - not to mention paying for the vet bills out of their own pockets - all while working full time jobs.
For this reason, we donate a percentage of every sale to grassroots community volunteers.
By purchasing a Sheer Fun For Cats toy, you're helping contribute to the following organizations:
Animal Friends Project
Carmen is a champion of cats. Individually, she has rescued many sick kitties off of South Florida's streets, brought them home and transformed them into healthy, and many times adoptable, cats. She pays for their food and veterinary expenses out-of-pocket. Carmen recently started a non-profit called Animal Friends Project and is happy for any donations. We encourage you to check out her Instagram account to see her amazing before and after photos. You can follow her on Instagram: @animalfriendsproject
Shelter of the Month
We have also partnered with the Arni Foundation and Kitty Kasas' monthly "Shelter Redo" where they pick a shelter or a person who fosters kitties in their home, and help them completely renovate their kitty area by donating beds, toys, cleaning products, litter and more. We donate Sheer Fun toy sets and lots of Fancy Felt toys. Its a wonderful way to show appreciation to these awesome care takers.
Shelters and Rescue Groups
We donate to Best Friends Animal Society, The Humane Society of the United States and Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. We also donate to various rescue groups on Instagram, usually when there is a medical emergency.
TNR and spaying and neutering gets to the root of the problem of homeless cats. While TNR is great if the cat is healthy, sadly there's often no help for community cats that need medical attention before or after being neutered. These cats shouldn't be released until they are healthy and unhealthy community cats need to be re-trapped and treated for medical issues. Donating to medical needs is definitely a priority for us.
With every purchase, know that you are helping a stray cat in need. We look forward to making a bigger and bigger impact as our company continues to grow.
Pictured below are some of the cats I've TNR'd, fostered and adopted.