Proud of Your Cat believes all kitties deserve to know love. The non-profit is operated by two people who are fully committed to and compassionate about the welfare of our furry friends. 100% of proceeds go towards helping the cats including paying for food, litter, toys, furniture such as cat towers, veterinarian services, medications, weather proof shelters, and lots of kitty treats! Overpopulation is the number one cause of death of healthy cats in the USA. Every year approximately 3.5 million cats enter animal shelters and 1.5 million of them are euthanized. Additionally, stray/feral cats have on average 1-2 litters a year that average 3 kittens per litter. Approximately 75% of kittens die or disappear by six months of age with trauma being the most common cause of kitten death when cause could be identified. In addition to shortened life spans, stray/feral cats commonly have a multitude of issues including intestinal parasites, fleas/ticks, ear mites/infections, upper respiratory infections (commonly known as "URIs"), eye infections, as well as some very serious and even deadly diseases including feline leukemia (FeLV), feline AIDS (FIV), FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), and feline distemper (panleukopenia). Part of our mission is to help stop and prevent the overpopulation of feral cats within our community by participating in a Trap-Neuter-Return ("TNR") program for cats too feral for domestication that involves humanely trapping the cats and taking them to a partnering vet clinic. The clinic examines the cat, vaccinates, spays/neuters, and clips the tip of the cat's ear. Eartipping is a standard part of most TNR programs because it's simply the best method to let everyone know at a glance that a cat has been spayed or neutered and vaccinated. The cats spend the following 24 hours under the clinic's supervision and the following day are released back into our community where they are cared for by us on a daily basis through feedings in the morning and evening, shelters provided for cold and rainy weather, constant access to fresh water, flea prevention, and veterinarian services as needed. At its essence, TNR is about population control and permanently reducing the number of feral cats in an area. It's about lowering stray intake and euthanasia rates, reducing costs for animal control, and creating better, less hostile environments for the cats. While we would love for all kitties to live out their lives safely inside, it is an unattainable goal given the number of feral cats and the futility of trying to socialize most of them. TNR is not just the best alternative to managing feral cat populations - it is the only one that works. The other part of our mission involves trapping kittens to foster in hopes of finding them all forever homes. The kittens get vaccinated and spayed/neutered once old enough. They do not get eartipped though. The kittens are also cared for by us on a daily basis with feedings including treats, tons of play time, and a whole bunch of cuddles and kisses! To date, our organization has helped cats/kittens with FIV, mange, fleas, ear mites, URIs, eye infections, roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and one special needs kitten that was born with several minor deformities including a micro eye that was surgically removed.