Help us continue our mission.

These are unprecedented times for us all. It has been over one month since we were forced to close our doors due to COVID-19. Like many of you, we have been left wondering how we will survive this. Thanks to our incredible supporters, we were able to raise the necessary funds to give us a little bit of breathing room for the month that was in front of us. Fast forward five weeks, and there is no end in sight. The tri-state area has been the most heavily affected by the virus, which means our realistic reopening will not be for presumably many more weeks if not months.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, nonprofits across the country face the most unprecedented economic challenge of their time. Now, more than ever, we have the opportunity to support each other and mobilize our communities. The ongoing effects of COVID-19 will be seen for some time, specifically to the cat rescue community.

During this time all spay/neuter clinics are closed as they are considered "non-essential", and this could not have come at a worse time. As many of you may know we are in the early stages of what is known as "kitten season". During the spring and early summer is the time when the majority of kittens are born. It is a time when all in the cat rescue community are overwhelmed with the number of kittens that require care and placement. We as rescuers try our best to alleviate this burden with TNR. Without the ability to continue with our TNR work in the community, it will only mean one thing, even more kittens this year. Once the time comes that we can reopen and continue with our mission, we know that this year will be one of the worst in a long time. Which means now more than ever we need your support. It is critical to the lives of literally hundreds, if not thousands of orphan kittens.

In an effort to provide immediate aid, Giving Tuesday announced #GivingTuesdayNow, which takes place on May 5, 2020. #GivingTuesdayNow is a chance for people around the world to stand together in unity and use their individual power of generosity to help nonprofits in need. To help, GoFundMe Charity launched #GivingTuesdayNow Match Program to give every nonprofit the opportunity to rally support for its cause in the face of COVID-19. GoFundMe will make a $1,000 match grant to nonprofits that raise at least $1,000 on GoFundMe Charity.

Now for some good news!

Since closing our doors on March 16, we have been busy saving lives. In the days following our closing, we were able to place all 25 of our current resident cats in foster homes, and we are happy to report all are doing tremendously well. Some have even won over the hearts of their new foster parents so much that they ave now become #fosterfails! Here are just a few of the beautiful stories and updates we have been getting;

Buttercup - For anyone that knows our team member, Cher it wouldn't come as any surprise that when we first posted asking for fosters for our resident cats that she was the first to offer her heart and home. When we contacted all the fosters yesterday and asked them if they could share any stories about the progress their kitties were making, Cher replied that she was again a foster failure and Buttercup has well and truly claimed a permanent spot in her family. This is truly a fairytale because Buttercup deserves a forever home so so much. Three years in a shelter is a long time for a cat to wait and then to move to our cafe three days before our ringworm outbreak and now COVID shut down it just didn't seem fair, but now it all makes sense. She is right where she is meant to be, forever. Cher says she is already a well-adjusted member of the family, she loves all of her fur siblings, she has made herself comfy snuggled in their bed every night and enjoys all of the love all day long. Thank you, Cher, you truly are an angel. There's no shame in being our most successful foster failure, ever

Jerry - "Jerry is such a sweet and affectionate cat. Its been great to see his personality really come out as he's gotten healthier and more comfortable here during our quarantine together. He is full of purrs and loves giving headbutts whenever I come in the room. "

Michi - "Michi purrs loudly and often to let me know how happy she is in her new home! She gives lots of love and likes to play and explore. Her favourite activity is watching the birds from the windows. She is a true companion, staying by my side during the day and sleeping on my pillow at night..... A cute story too. She was bathing herself and then I put my head close to her because we were FaceTiming and then she licked my forehead like 5 times to clean me"

Sly - "He was very quick to make friends with Clyde, has recently discovered Katy (the snake). They play a cute game where Sly sits on the top and Katy immediately slithers up to say hello, they sniff each other and stare until someone gives up, usually Sly. He hasn't quite made friends with the pup yet, but there's plenty of tolerance, especially when treats are involved. Definitely a foodie, he's curious to know everything that happens in the kitchen and expects to try it all. We're working on plate boundaries but it helps that he has role models that know you can't just grab. He prefers eggs to sausage but nothing is as good as bacon, chicken or grilled fish. Cheese is also a favourite. He loves guitar music, comes out to listen every time my bf plays. He's been slow to warm up to humans, he still jumps if you try to pet him EXCEPT when he's snuggling with Clyde if he has the safety net of his friend next to him, you can pet all over him, he purrs and turns into a total mush pile. He loves to play, feather toys, mice toys, laser pointer or literally any small thing on the floor is up for batting practice.

These are just a few examples of daily messages we get from our tremendous fosters.

Our continued commitment to helping cats in need.

There is no doubt that life has become a lot harder in so many ways, but this has not deterred us, it has only forced us to become more creative. During this time, we will continue to find homes for our current resident cats that are now in foster care through contactless adoption.

Just this week we launched our new program called Purrfect Match. With this new program, we will be able to help match humans who wish to adopt their purrfect match. Think of it as a dating service but for humans and cats. You can learn more about this program by clicking here https://www.catsburypark.com/purrfect-match

Lastly, we have been using this time to attend continuing education webinars, host both educational and entertaining events and as always be a resource for those in need of cat-related information.

In closing, I would like to take this time to thank each and everyone one of you who has donated and continues to give to our mission. Our supporters are the backbone of what we can do. Now more than ever we need you. We recognize that for many, this is a scary and uncertain time, and some are not in a position to donate. A single share of our fundraiser on your social media, or with a friend or relative can also be so impactful. We thank you in advance for the support.

Catsbury Park is a 501(c)3 New Jersey nonprofit corporation tax ID 81-3366139. All donations are tax-deductible.

Catsbury Park Inc

Fundraising Campaigns

Covid-19 Relief Fund

Catsbury Park #GivingTuesdayNow

Catsbury Covid-19 Relief Fund

#GivingTuesday Cat Condo and Facility Upgrade