6 Feb 2021

February Updates

by | posted in: Education, Fostering, Fundraising | 0

Things seem to be off to a good start for 2021. Storm and Cloud have been adopted, and we’re working to get Hurricane and Rain into their forever homes. Maybe even together, if we can! We’ve toured four retail spaces with feelers out for a couple more. One in particular would be great as long as the money is there month in and month out to pay the bills. It’s spacious and light and purrfect for a cat lounge. Wish we had a crystal ball to tell us what our future holds! We have faith that we’ll get the right place at the right time, that visitors and adopters will come, and that the support we need will be there! Once we’ve been open we should be able to pursue grants, too.

We set a goal to raise $1000/month through in-kind and financial donations and so far things are going well there. We’ve had fabric donated which has been terrific. A fat quarter usually makes 4 masks. Depending on the print, we can get upwards of 16 masks from a full yard of fabric. We’re looking at new fabrics to line the masks with and the possibility of adding a filter pocket.

We’ve sold a few pouches already and have a pattern we like now for a smaller pouch. Just need to get some sewn up! If the weather continues to be sunny, and if COVID-19 cases continue to drop, we may hold another pop-up shop in the next month or so.

In the near future we will be adding some education pages to the website, things like what to expect when you bring a new cat home, how to introduce animals, what’s normal for kitten behavior, etc. if you have suggestions for other topics we’d love to hear them!

As always, thank you for your support. Without supporters we wouldn’t be able to pursue this dream of helping more cats find safe, loving, permanent homes. 💗

1 Jan 2021

January 1, 2021

by | posted in: Education | 0

Here we are at the start of a new year. This time last year we were putting the finishing touches on all of our documents so that we could file as a corporation and then apply for tax-exempt status. We started a Facebook page in February but didn’t promote it right away, as we wanted to be sure our nonprofit status would be approved. We opened our bank account at the end of March (thank you to Carmen at Bank of the Sierra for making that happen when the shut-down was brand-new and businesses were reeling!). Since then we’ve raised money, researched retail spaces, made new friends, and reached more supporters both locally and across the country.

We’re starting the new year feeling supported and encouraged. We can see that the idea of a cat lounge and adoption center in Ventura appeals to people, as does the mission of saving more cats and kittens. One of our big goals, once we have the lounge open, is to expand our network of volunteers, train fosters as needed, and involve more of our community in our efforts.

As we begin 2021 I wanted to record a few numbers, as I think it’s good to be able to look back and see progress. Eventually, we’ll be able to track cat adoptions!!! We’ve raised nearly $12,000. We have 412 Facebook followers and 394 Instagram followers. In 2020 we fostered 19 cats and kittens. Of those, 4 are still here in foster and 1 is still waiting to be adopted (Sequoia, now known as Teba, at Greyfoot). We’ll continue to raise money with handmade items like masks, toys, and note cards, and we’re adding zipper pouches to the store later this month too! Once the lounge is open we envision having those things for sale as well as t-shirts and other items. If you haven’t seen our Bonfire t-shirts and sweatshirts, take a look!

If you’d like to get more involved this year I encourage you to fill out a volunteer application. I’d also suggest following us on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with our activities. Once there’s more to report we’ll send out regular newsletter updates as well. Once we have a place leased we’ll share an online registry where supporters can shop for gifts like toys, beds, food, and more for the future cats!

2021 will be our year!

15 Dec 2020

We Did It!

by | posted in: Fundraising | 0

And you did it! Together, we have raised over $10,000 this year! In fact, we’re closing in on $12,000, which is simply astounding. Thank you to everyone who has helped us realize this goal. Cassie’s Cats will always be fundraising, whether it’s admission to the cat lounge once it’s open, special events, or selling merchandise. To have a solid foundation to start with gives us the confidence to know that when the time is right, we’ll be ready to lease a space, get it ready, and bring in the cats!!!

If you want to contribute and be a part of bringing this dream to life here in Ventura you can shop in our online store or simply make a donation. At the bottom of every page is a PayPal button and using that, you can donate with a credit or debit card (or PayPal, if you have an account). If you use Venmo you can donate to cassies-cats.

THANK YOU!