The big news --- you can now donate anonymously! Just click on the "donate" button on our fundraising page, then you'll see a box to check that allows you to continue as an anonymous donor. It's all very easy. I'm so glad it's now an option for us!
We had a good run yesterday but sadly didn't max out a late afternoon match. We were only $200 shy of completing it. It's OK, this happens every now and again, and it was still an awesome day thanks to so many generous folks. We doubled many dollars, and we're currently at $13,200! It feels pretty good to have so many squillions behind us in the first couple days. Nice work, Team!
Seriously. Thank you. It's a tremendous accomplishment and reason to be proud. Thank you for giving so much!
Whenever I talk about the IBKC, I always share what an incredible community you are. People are always amazed by your generosity. No surprise there --it's pretty amazing! Thank you for giant, giving hearts.
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Throughout the FUNdraiser, we always have days designated for specific causes or programs. It gives you a chance to give and have your donation go towards something you are passionate about. Today will be the first of our "designated donation days" and all the money raised in the next 24 hours will go specifically to help the Senior Cats. I know there are many Senior Cat lovers in this crowd, so I'm hoping it will be huge, just like it has been in previous years.
Here's our old girl, Drewey, who was my very first cat. She passed away in 2010 at the age of 18. She had many fans around here, and whenever she made an appearance on the blog, everyone was always so happy to see her.
She was a sweet, loving gal who "embraced her inner crank" as she aged. She was full of personality, an excellent communicator, and I am so grateful that we had so many good years with her.
After she had passed, the whole community felt this loss, and many of you made a donation to the shelter in her honor. So began the Senior Cat Fund.
WE all know how special Senior Cats are, but often people are shy to adopt them because Seniors can be at greater risk for medical issues and adopters may worry about potentially high vet bills and the woes that come with owning a cat with health problems. If the vet staff has the resources to get the Senior Cats healthier first, this ultimately makes the Seniors more "adoptable" and shortens their stay at the shelter. And the sooner they get settled into their new homes and started on their new lives, the better.
Our donations today will help our vet staff do testing, procedures, blood work, dental work - whatever it takes to get this special population in top form! It will allow our doctors to go above and beyond and give the Seniors many more happy and healthy years!
Seniors often take a little longer to place, so the expenses for their care during their stay can accumulate. Our donations will help cover these costs, too.
Claudia, who is the Annual Fund Manager at the shelter, has some Senior Cat stats and stories to share with us today. We will share one tale now, and you'll meet a couple more sweet Seniors later today.
From Claudia:
In 2016 the IBKC raised $12,331 for Senior Cats.
We are happy to report that in 2016 we successfully homed 267 senior cats (8 years and older)! Our oldest this year was 19 years old. 143 were 10+ years, and 15 that were 15+ years old. We estimate it costs about $35 per day to house a senior cat and the average stay is about 8 days. That means that with the IBKC funds you have helped 44 senior cats get the food and medical care they need while they waited for adoption!
Abby – 8 years
After one of her humans passed away and the other needing to move in with family Abby was feeling a little anxious when she came to the shelter. Having lived her whole life with her owners and three other cats, the sights, sounds, and smells of a busy shelter Cattery were a little overwhelming for the beautiful 8 year old Tortie.
Fortunately for Abby the shelter staff and volunteers know how to help those shy senior cats purr with satisfaction. Having passed all her health exams she just needed a little TLC to coax her out of her shell and show off what a loving girl she still is.
Purr-time volunteers work individually with shelter cats like Abby, providing behavior assessments, lap time, special treats and some play time in the visitation rooms. Everyone fell in love with this sweetheart and knew she was going to find a new home soon.
When her new owner came into the shelter for a visit, it was love at first sight. Abby quickly jumped up into his lap and lay peacefully while getting pets and chin scratches. Staff instantly knew it was a purr-fect match.
Abby was with the shelter 16 days before finding a new home. With an average cost of $35 per day, for a healthy senior cat, the estimated cost of her care was $560. To help senior cats get adopted the shelter frequently waives their adoption fees, so all funds raised are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for sharing her story, Claudia. Abby is such a lovely girl and I'm so happy that she found her human! Thank you to the dedicated staff and volunteers who coaxed that tortie out of her shell and gave her the care and extra attention she needed while she waited for her adopter to walk through the shelter doors.
I'm so excited that our donations today will help a whole lot of Senior Cats like Abby!
Our dear friend Cynthia has a huge heart for all critters, but especially the precious Senior Cats, and today she is offering up an awesome $5000 matching donation challenge to help them out!
For every dollar we donate, Cynthia will do the same until we reach the $5000 cap. I have a feeling it won't be any trouble at all meeting this generous match -- we love our Seniors!
The matching donation challenge will end at 6:00 PM Pacific Time, but we're giving you a full 24 hours to donate to the Senior Cat fund. So, every dollar that comes in before 7:00 AM tomorrow will help our Seniors!
To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit our FUNdraising page.
Thank you so much for offering up this generous match, Cynthia. And thanks in advance to all who help us meet it!
There's lots to share today! I've got a couple sweet Senior Cat stories coming your way, and, of course, our adorable Fellows. Stay tuned!
Thank you, Cynthia, for your generous match! Like many others here, I have a huge soft spot for the seniors, and I appreciate everything the IBKC community, Humane Society, and shelters everywhere do to help them.
ReplyDeleteManaged to get my donation to go through after a couple of attempts. Didn't see space for comments on the donation site but mine is in honor of my dear kitty-in-law Miss Tiger, who is still going strong at 18 years old.
ReplyDeleteOh, and thank you for the anonymous donation functionality.
ReplyDeleteThe kittens are adorable, but seniors have my heart. We adopted our first cat already at nearly 10 years old. He's 16 now, has his own Inner Crank now but we don't mind :) Happy to donate in honor of our own Old Man
ReplyDeleteMy senior cats are with sweet Drewey now, but I know my Hawthorne and Edgar would heartily approve of donating today. My inner crank is fully engaged!
ReplyDeleteAbby is a beautiful cat, glad she found a home.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cynthia for the matching donation.
Wish there was a comments section on the fundraising page; miss reading the "in honor of" or "in memory of" comments. My first donation is in memory of my senior cats Cleo and Squeaker and their kitty cousins Abby and Phoebe.
Senior cat day is my favorite day! I donated on behalf of my three senior cats, ages 10, 12, and 14. Senior cats are as loving and demanding as younger cats and I am firmly on Team Senior Cat.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cynthia!
Thank you Cynthia! You are an angel on earth to many kitties!
ReplyDeleteToo late to notice "JOIN LAURIE'S TEAM" button - I did donate but not on your tally. Perhaps you could stress loudly, to click on YOUR button? In any case the $35 is in honor of my senior Maine Coon, Rye.
ReplyDeleteYou did it right! If you want to raise money for the team, you "Join Laurie's Team." All good! And thanks!
DeleteI'm confused now: if I just used the "donate now" button on the fundraising link you provided instead of join your team button will my donation still go to the cats? Or am I supposed to join your team in order for my donations to go to the cats?
DeleteYou only "join the team" if you want to be a fundraiser too and start soliciting donations for the humane society. If you just want to make a donation, click the "donate" button.
DeleteI'm confused: are we supposed to use the join your team button in order for our donations to go to the cats? Or is the "Donate Now" button on the link you provided sufficient? The receipt doesn't show that the donation is for the IBKC team the way it did for previous years.
DeleteI just wrote a post that should address your confusion.
DeleteIn honor of my senior kitty 12 yr old Emma. Thanks for all you do for all the kitties, young and old! From Michigan
ReplyDeleteIn honor of my senior rescued Maltese dog. —Ricky's Mom in NYC.
ReplyDeleteI miss being able to leave comments with my donation. Today's donation is in memory of my beloved Callie, who lost her battle with cancer 3 months ago. She was only 12 years old.
ReplyDeleteokay- if we don't hit join the team, does the Humane society give you credit for the donation from the IBKC??? I didn't click either button.
ReplyDeleteYou only click "join the team" if you want to participate in Dog A Thon, be a part of IBKC Fundraising team, and start soliciting your own donations. If you did that, they would still count and go towards the IBKC Team total, and they would count towards your personal total, too. When you click on the donate button on my page and make a donation, it counts. They only way a donation wouldn't count towards our total is if you were to go to Dog-A-Thon's front page where there is an option to donate to a general fund -- not a team or individual's page. Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteAs someone with experience of adopting senior cats I can say how rewarding it is and how worth it. When my beloved Gabriel cat passed away this year aged 19 years old we headed to the shelter and adopted a 10 year old. Sir Roland had a mild heart murmur and hyperthyroidism so was struggling to find a home, but he is a sweet gorgeous boy and a champ at taking his medication. We may not get as many years with him as we would with a younger cat, but they will be fabulous joyous years.
ReplyDelete