Nine Lives Project - Cattyshack Cares

The Nine Lives Project

On June 14, nine cats will arrive at Cattyshack Cares after a journey that began on the Caribbean island of Dominica.

Last month, Andrew and I traveled to Dominica after receiving a request for help from St. Nicholas Animal Rescue (SNAR), the island’s first and only nonprofit animal shelter. Before making any commitments, we wanted to see firsthand how we could best support their efforts.

What we found were cats that had already been rescued, already been loved, and already been cared for by an incredible team of staff and volunteers.

The team at SNAR had already done the hard part. They rescued them, treated them, fed them, and kept them safe.

What they couldn’t provide was access to thousands of potential adopters.

That’s where partnerships like this come in.

Sometimes the difference between a rescued cat and an adopted cat is simply opportunity.

On June 14, approximately 140 animals will arrive in the United States as part of a collaborative Freedom Flight involving rescue organizations, volunteers, donors, and pilots. Some will continue on to rescue partners throughout Florida and beyond.

Cattyshack Cares has committed to welcoming nine of those cats into our program. We’ll also be assisting with the transportation of additional cats destined for other Florida rescue partners.

Once the flight arrives in Fort Lauderdale, we’ll make the 260+ mile round trip to safely transport the cats across South Florida before beginning the process of helping them settle into their new lives.

Although the cats are arriving with medical records and veterinary care already provided by SNAR, there are still significant costs associated with transportation, veterinary evaluations, housing, food, litter, supplements, enrichment, and follow-up care.

To make our goal as transparent as possible, we’ve broken down the estimated expenses associated with welcoming these nine cats:

• Airport Transportation (vehicle rental, fuel, tolls & transport supplies): $842

• Veterinary Evaluations & Follow-Up Care: $1,125

• Housing Setup, Food & Litter: $496

• Supplements, Enrichment & Comfort Items: $401+

Total Goal: $2,863

At Cattyshack Cares, we remain deeply committed to helping cats here in Southwest Florida while also supporting trusted rescue partners whenever our help can create better outcomes for animals in need.

We don’t believe compassion is a limited resource.

Every donation helps provide transportation, care, and opportunity for nine cats whose next chapter is about to begin.

Thank you for helping us say yes when help was needed.