Every cat we help is helped only because you care.

That's why our tagline is "community care for community cats." Kudzu is made up of volunteers working tirelessly simply because we care about helping cats. We don't have paid staff or rent, so every dollar we receive goes to our mission. We also don't have grants, sponsorships, or big donation matches — our work is possible because individuals like yourself believe it is worth supporting. Our average donation is $25. In the world of non-profit rescues we are small.

And yet, our impact is not small. We have spayed or neutered over 3100 unowned cats, preventing countless litters and untold suffering and death. We've provided thousands of pounds of food to colony caretakers, as well as warm, dry shelters to keep their kitties out of the elements. Hundreds of unowned cats who otherwise would have been left to suffer have received medical care for everything from minor wounds and illnesses, to broken bones, tail and leg amputations, hernia repairs, urinary blockages, enucleations, entropion surgeries, and more than 35 dentals for cats struggling to eat because of terrible mouth pain (13 of them in this year alone). We've treated 15 cats for the deadly disease feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). During an outbreak of panleukopenia we rescued 42 cats from Cobb County Animal Services and held them for quarantine so they would not be euthanized. We created our Blue Collar Cat Program to provide outcomes for unadoptable cats whose lives are in danger. And we've rescued hundreds of cats and kittens from the hazards of outdoor life, finding safe and loving forever homes for them.

When I say "we" I mean Kudzu and you, together. All of this has been possible because you have made it possible.

But this year things have been a little more difficult for everyone, and that includes us. Donations are down. When basic necessities are ever more expensive people don't have as much — or anything — leftover for philanthropy. Meanwhile, our costs have increased. Spay/neuter for our rescue cats costs more than twice what it did a year ago. An amputation costs three times as much. The cost of vaccines has gone up 50%. Don't even get me started on the cost of cat food. Most of you have pets and have experienced the rising cost of food and veterinary care in your own lives, so you know. For the first time in our history Kudzu has balances at our services providers that we can't afford to immediately pay in full.

So, we are asking for your help. We know there are many worthy organizations competing for your attention at the end of the year, and we don't have a marketing budget or a dedicated fundraising person, so it's hard for us to be heard over all the noise. But we are drowning, not waving. We need to get our accounts paid up and some funds in place to cover upcoming expenses or we will be forced to start saying no when someone asks us to help a cat. We're the only organization in Cobb providing veterinary care beyond spay/neuter for unowned cats, so they would have nowhere else to turn. We're already on intake hold and have canceled four upcoming dental appointments.

For the remainder of the year our social media will be featuring specific examples of our work: the cats, the people who care about them, and how we were able to help. We want you to see exactly where your donations go and the impact they have. Follow us on instagram, facebook, tik tok, and bluesky to see what you make possible. Share our posts to help us reach new audiences.

And please consider donating if you are able. Everything becomes possible when we have you behind us.

Community Care for Community Cats

We can only do this with your support.