THE BACKSTORY
Neonatal Kitten Rescue officially formed in July 2018 and became a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) in October 2018. During this time we have rescued and saved over 250 kittens, ages newborn to 6 weeks, as well as pregnant and nursing moms, that otherwise faced a bleak future. Rescued and sick kittens are currently at the Neonatal Kitten Rescue nursery, while newborns and healthy kittens are placed into foster homes as soon as possible. All kittens are fully vetted and altered before being placed into adoptive homes.
WE ARE ON A MISSION
While this has been a huge success, we know we can do more in the community. By combining our rescue efforts with a cat cafe all in one building, we will be able to generate more in donations, reach more people in the community, offer the second only cat cafe in Tennessee, and provide a fun and relaxing environment where potential adopters can get up close and personal with the sweet kittens.
Opening the Neonatal Kitten Rescue in a physical location will also help us achieve the following:
1. Further reduce euthanasia rates in animal shelters through efforts to rescue orphan kittens under six weeks of age.
2. Further reduce the feral and stray cat population by rescuing the young kittens, fully vetting, vaccinating and spaying/neutering every single one in our rescue before being placed for adoption.
3. Provide a comfortable, relaxing, cage free environment for Neonatal Kitten Rescue kittens that are vaccinated and healthy until they meet their furever families. This will encourage frequent, healthy socialization with other kittens and people - ultimately making for an extremely adoptable kitten.
4. Provide programs and services benefiting the kittens and the community and relating to kitten wellness.
5. Provide more physical space for Neonatal Kitten Rescue which means we can rescue more kittens than ever before and with the exposure these kittens will get at the cafe, more kittens will be able to be adopted than ever before!
WHAT IS A CAT CAFE?
Originating in Taiwan in 1998 and popular in Japan for many years, Cat Cafes are becoming more and more popular throughout North America. Imagine a place where you can enjoy a snack, a cup of coffee, tea or various other comforting items all in the presence of adorable kittens that are available for adoption.
Cat Cafes serve the dual purpose of providing a fun, relaxing environment for people to visit as well as providing another vehicle for homeless kittens to find loving forever homes - a true win, win scenario!!!
KITTY RESCUE AND CAFE PLANS
Neonatal Kitten Rescue in Johnson City, TN will be the third cat cafe in the United States and to our knowledge the VERY FIRST kitten rescue and cafe!
We will secure a physical location that is approximately 2,200 square feet in Johnson City, TN. A quarter of this location will feature pastries, snacks, coffee and tea from local outside vendors, as well as a gift shop area, a quarter will house healthy kittens not quite old enough to be on the adoption floor, while the other half will host a vibrant, comfortable and beautifully decorated playroom that is not only conducive to the well-being of the kittens housed there, but also a creative space for kitten enthusiasts to work, play and indulge in a little “kitten therapy” while enjoying a taste of the local scene through comforting drinks and snacks.
Additionally, we will utilize the kitten playroom to entertain kitten lovers of all ages through meet and greets and hosting events such as kitten yoga, book clubs, children’s kitten academy, open mic nights, live local music and booking private events.
We will also use this space to educate the public on responsible kitten parenting to help create happy, healthier kittens, families, and communities. We will hold public classes and foster home classes in relation to taking care of the newborn kitten, bottle feeding, advanced care for neonates, including the sick - and much more related to community awareness and education.
LOUNGE DESIGN
Kittens at Neonatal Kitten Rescue will enjoy all the play time and relaxation they can handle on cool, stylish cat furniture.
The furnishings we will use are designed to enhance the way people live with their cats by accommodating the cat's natural instincts without sacrificing style and comfort for their human guardians.
HOW THIS KITTEN CAFE WILL OPERATE
When you’re in need of some kitten cuddles, a place to hang out with friends, or just want a place to relax, you can stop in the Neonatal Kitten Rescue!
When you arrive, you will pay an entrance donation fee and select from our available beverages and snacks and shop in our gift area. Once you’re ready, you can head over to the main area of the rescue and enjoy your refreshments in the company of approximately 20 adorable and adoptable kittens.
Once you’re in the door, feel free to do your homework, relax, play games, work on group projects, and play with the kittens!
If you’re in the market to bring a new kitten home, you can interact with all the kittens as if they were your own before you actually take one home!
HOW YOUR FUNDS WILL BE USED
Your donations will help us build an amazing safe environment that all kitties need and deserve. Your donations will be used for food/litter/treats, cat shelves/cat beds/cat bridges, furnishings, lease and construction costs for the cat lounge.
As soon as we complete 1/3 of our crowdfunding campaign, we will move quickly to secure a physical location. The vast majority of the funds will go towards leasing the premises and its refurbishment. We would like to be able to raise enough funds to cover the first year’s lease.
The space has to be optimized for both humans as well as our kitty friends. Therefore, refurbishment and interior design, decor and furnishing of the playroom and cafe areas will be integral to our plans. We want the atmosphere to be just purrrfect!
SUSTAINABILITY
We will continue to operate as a 501(c)(3) kitten rescue. We will utilize a percentage of entry donation fees, donation fees for classes and special events, food and beverage sales, adoption fees, private event fees and normal fundraising activities to operate.
Suggested entry fees are between $10-$15, and will be good for one hour. Only 20 people will be in the cafe/rescue at any given time. Typical class fees will range between $10-$30.
Additionally, we will continue to utilize volunteers only except for the director and one manager. We will continue to use foster homes and the original Neonatal Kitten Rescue (unless space provides for the care of these kittens in a separate nursery area of the rescue/cafe) nursery for those kittens that are too young, not fully vaccinated or are ill.
With a physical location in place, we will be able to apply for grants that will include monetary benefits as well as food and litter, potentially cutting those costs out of our budget.
More exposure in the community should also generate larger donations as they are now and will continue to be tax-deductible.
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE
Are my Crowdrise Donations Tax Deductible? YES, they are! Because we hold IRS 501(c)(3) status and are a public charity, donors can deduct contributions they make under IRC Section 170. We are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522. Our EIN is 83-1936184.
What happens if we don't meet the goal? No problem. Reaching our total goal is not required. With Crowdrise, we keep each and every donation we receive. So, as long as we are able to reach 1/3 of our goal, we will secure a facility and proceed with our plans. Additionally, our campaign will be able to accept donations even after our goal is reached.
Why would we limit the time per person? Because we are a non-profit, we will limit the time per entrance donation. However, if there are no others waiting, we welcome you to stay longer. If there are others wanting to visit us, you can simply donate the fee for an extra hour.
Why would we limit our space to just 20 people? We plan on having a maximum of 20 adoptable kittens at any given time. Their wellness is our biggest concern, we want them to feel love and be socialized...not nervous because of an overwhelming number of people.
Are kids welcome? Of course kids will be welcome! Children under 5 are free, 5-10 will be half-price. For every two children, there must be one accompanying adult. We even have plans for a kids only Saturday morning event
Will we have an unlimited pass? We do plan on offering an unlimited pass, although this will not include special classes and/or events.
Where will the adoptable cats come from? Neonatal Kitten Rescue is always full of sweet kittens; however, we will work with local shelters and rescues in our area.
Um...ew. Do you make any of the food in-house? How is that even legal? Nope! We will partner with local businesses who deliver the products fresh every meowning. Also, because we keep the kitties in a separate room from where the food and beverages are served, the health department is totally cool with our concept!
If you still have questions, please email us! We want to hear your thoughts, concerns and questions! heather@neonatalkittenrescue.org
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP If you can’t donate any money, that’s alright! We hope you’re still excited to visit us at our rescue and cat cafe! If you still want to help, or want to do even more, here’s how you can!
1. Share this campaign with all your friends!
2. Write to your local news station, newspaper, magazine or blogger, and ask them to feature Neonatal Kitten Rescue! We’d love the exposure!
3. Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Instagram . Visit our website at www.neonatalkittenrescue.org
4. Just spread the word in general! Tell everyone you know what we are up to!
5. Offer us your ideas and suggestions!
We truly thank you for supporting our kittens and our efforts to save their fragile lives!
