Itty Bitty Kitty, Inc.: COVID-19 Operation Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
We were able to use the money to buy supplies for the shelter. We were able to buy litter for the shelter along with specific dry and canned food for one cat who has several food allergies and can only eat certain ingredients.
The grant was able to keep the shelter smelling fresh and clean by allowing us to use the same quality and brand litter that we normally do and not have to use a cheap off-brand that normally causes the shelter to smell very bad due to the amount of cats at the shelter.
The food we were able to buy, which runs us about $75 a month for the one cat, was a godsend. Normally we are able to buy our food at a very reduced cost, but because of this cat's food allergies, she is not able to eat the regular dry food or canned food we usually buy or get donated.
Without this grant, I don't think we would have been able to survive with the lack of adoptions and lack of support that we normally receive during this time period. Due to Covid, our biggest fundraiser of the year was cancelled; it would have brought in over 50% of our funds to pay for expenses at the shelter.
How many pets did this grant help?
We currently have about 25-30 cats at the shelter. It varies due to adoptions and intakes, but that is usually the normal amount.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Peanut (first and second photos) was a cat whom this grant provided specific benefit to since she is the one with severe food allergies who requires the different food compared to what we normally feed the cats at the shelter. The cost is a lot more for her compared to the cost of feeding of the other cats. She has very specific food allergies and it is extremely difficult to find food that she isn’t allergic too. Ironically, after having Peanut returned by her adopter back in July of 2017, Peanut was just adopted this past Saturday on July 18. She seemed to do well in her new home and the new owners are very happy to have her. We are so glad that we have a happy ending to share regarding a cat that this grant was able to help out.
