Our Story
When the local Animal Shelters and Rescues are full, many domesticated cats on Long Island, are often abandoned by their owners to live on the streets and not spayed/neutered. Feral cat trappers and colony caretakers come across an overwhelming abundance of stray cats and kittens that deserve to be rescued off the streets and adopted into loving homes. Tender Loving Cats, Inc. (TLC) came from that need and with this goal in mind.
Founded in January 2017, Tender Loving Cats, Inc. is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 501(c)(3), no-kill feline rescue concentrating on reducing Long Island's community cat population through Trap-Neuter-Return and the rehabilitation of homeless cats and kittens for adoption. As a part of this mission, all cats and kittens adopted from Tender Loving Cats, Inc. are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. We educate the public on the importance of Trap-Neuter-Return and work with colony caretakers to help them implement Trap-Neuter-Return in their communities.
In 2019, Tender Loving Cats, Inc. created the Prevent-A-Litter (P.A.L) Program to help combat the overwhelming feral, stray and homeless cat/kitten epidemic on Long Island, NY. Since it's inception our Prevent-A-Litter (P.A.L) Program has spayed/neutered on average 400-500 feral or owned cats of low-income individuals each year. In 2021 a record 450 spay/neuter’s were funded by this program most of which were trapped by our team of volunteer trappers.
In our founding year, we rescued, spayed and neutered 143 cats & kittens from the streets. In 2018 and 2019 we saw that number increase to over 300, then in 2020, 2021 and 2022 over 1,000 cats & kittens were rescued, spayed and neutered from directly from our backyard, the streets of Long Island, NY. With each rescue of a cat or kitten comes a story of a mom cat that we trapped and spayed at no cost to the property owner and very often a story of a colony of cats we also will help trap, spay & neuter. TLC trappers & volunteers know that we do not just simply remove kittens, we must ensure that mom cats are spayed, and all adult colony cats are spayed/neutered whenever possible. Simply removing kittens only perpetuates the homeless cat epidemic on Long Island. As a foster based rescue, we are only able to help pull cats & kittens for adoption from the streets if we have a foster home willing to hold them until they are adopted. If you have a spare room and you’re interested in helping by becoming a foster parent, please apply to FOSTER CAT/KITTEN(S).
With the opening of our first PetSmart Adoption Center location within PetSmart N. Babylon in 2017 and the second PetSmart Adoption Center location within the PetSmart W. Babylon in 2019 we’ve been able to substantially increase our adoptions and therefore rescue more and more cats and kittens from the streets to place into loving forever homes each year. But with these location openings comes more work and more volunteers who are desperately needed. If you have a free 2 hrs every week to help us in the Babylon area, please apply to become a VOLUNTEER.
TLC continues to take on many special needs cases that require medical care above and beyond the norm. We never turn away a cat simply because of cost. Each year our rescue continues to provide medical treatment to neediest cats & kittens on Long Island. These treatments include but are not limited to eye enucleations, entropion eyelid surgery, orthopedic specialty surgeries, costly FIP treatment and dental procedures to ensure that cats and kittens who have faced neglect as a result of living on the streets are made whole once again. All of our cat/kitten(s) are tested negative for FeLV, fully vaccinated up to and including rabies, de-wormed, spayed/neutered & microchipped. This would not be possible without YOU, our supporters, donors, volunteers, foster parents and veterinarians the local veterinarians who support our mission. We have come so far in such a short time because of this dedication to saving the lives of homeless cats & kittens on Long Island.
We want to especially thank Dr. Alison Rhein, Dr. Suzanne Ravitz, Dr. Lindsay Whisher and the entire staff at Dix Hills Animal Hospital, Dr. John Berger, Tina Berger & staff at Long Island Spay & Neuter, Dr. Kevin Cummins, Dr. Christine Bayha and staff at Lindenhurst Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Infernuso, Dr. Cameron & staff at Animal Surgical Center, Dr. Jarod Coren & staff at West Hills Animal Hospital & Emergency Center, Dr. Jason Mansfield & staff at South Shore Animal Hospital, Island Rescue Bayshore, Helping Paw East Meadow and Farmingdale Dog & Cat Clinic.
We rely on donations from you, the public, to continue this life saving work.
By making a tax deductible donation you will be helping us, help them. Donate and make a difference in the lives of homeless cats & kittens living on the streets of Long Island, NY.
Tender Loving Cats, Inc.
Rescues the Mistreated,
Saves the Injured and
Loves the Abandoned.
Founded in January 2017, Tender Loving Cats, Inc. is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 501(c)(3), no-kill feline rescue concentrating on reducing Long Island's community cat population through Trap-Neuter-Return and the rehabilitation of homeless cats and kittens for adoption. As a part of this mission, all cats and kittens adopted from Tender Loving Cats, Inc. are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. We educate the public on the importance of Trap-Neuter-Return and work with colony caretakers to help them implement Trap-Neuter-Return in their communities.
In 2019, Tender Loving Cats, Inc. created the Prevent-A-Litter (P.A.L) Program to help combat the overwhelming feral, stray and homeless cat/kitten epidemic on Long Island, NY. Since it's inception our Prevent-A-Litter (P.A.L) Program has spayed/neutered on average 400-500 feral or owned cats of low-income individuals each year. In 2021 a record 450 spay/neuter’s were funded by this program most of which were trapped by our team of volunteer trappers.
In our founding year, we rescued, spayed and neutered 143 cats & kittens from the streets. In 2018 and 2019 we saw that number increase to over 300, then in 2020, 2021 and 2022 over 1,000 cats & kittens were rescued, spayed and neutered from directly from our backyard, the streets of Long Island, NY. With each rescue of a cat or kitten comes a story of a mom cat that we trapped and spayed at no cost to the property owner and very often a story of a colony of cats we also will help trap, spay & neuter. TLC trappers & volunteers know that we do not just simply remove kittens, we must ensure that mom cats are spayed, and all adult colony cats are spayed/neutered whenever possible. Simply removing kittens only perpetuates the homeless cat epidemic on Long Island. As a foster based rescue, we are only able to help pull cats & kittens for adoption from the streets if we have a foster home willing to hold them until they are adopted. If you have a spare room and you’re interested in helping by becoming a foster parent, please apply to FOSTER CAT/KITTEN(S).
With the opening of our first PetSmart Adoption Center location within PetSmart N. Babylon in 2017 and the second PetSmart Adoption Center location within the PetSmart W. Babylon in 2019 we’ve been able to substantially increase our adoptions and therefore rescue more and more cats and kittens from the streets to place into loving forever homes each year. But with these location openings comes more work and more volunteers who are desperately needed. If you have a free 2 hrs every week to help us in the Babylon area, please apply to become a VOLUNTEER.
TLC continues to take on many special needs cases that require medical care above and beyond the norm. We never turn away a cat simply because of cost. Each year our rescue continues to provide medical treatment to neediest cats & kittens on Long Island. These treatments include but are not limited to eye enucleations, entropion eyelid surgery, orthopedic specialty surgeries, costly FIP treatment and dental procedures to ensure that cats and kittens who have faced neglect as a result of living on the streets are made whole once again. All of our cat/kitten(s) are tested negative for FeLV, fully vaccinated up to and including rabies, de-wormed, spayed/neutered & microchipped. This would not be possible without YOU, our supporters, donors, volunteers, foster parents and veterinarians the local veterinarians who support our mission. We have come so far in such a short time because of this dedication to saving the lives of homeless cats & kittens on Long Island.
We want to especially thank Dr. Alison Rhein, Dr. Suzanne Ravitz, Dr. Lindsay Whisher and the entire staff at Dix Hills Animal Hospital, Dr. John Berger, Tina Berger & staff at Long Island Spay & Neuter, Dr. Kevin Cummins, Dr. Christine Bayha and staff at Lindenhurst Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Infernuso, Dr. Cameron & staff at Animal Surgical Center, Dr. Jarod Coren & staff at West Hills Animal Hospital & Emergency Center, Dr. Jason Mansfield & staff at South Shore Animal Hospital, Island Rescue Bayshore, Helping Paw East Meadow and Farmingdale Dog & Cat Clinic.
We rely on donations from you, the public, to continue this life saving work.
By making a tax deductible donation you will be helping us, help them. Donate and make a difference in the lives of homeless cats & kittens living on the streets of Long Island, NY.
Tender Loving Cats, Inc.
Rescues the Mistreated,
Saves the Injured and
Loves the Abandoned.
Board of Directors
President
Rebecca Caro
Treasurer
Richard Bertuglia
Secretary
Jennifer Shah
Officers
Dana Demetres
Marge Goldin
Lisa Landers
Rebecca Caro
Treasurer
Richard Bertuglia
Secretary
Jennifer Shah
Officers
Dana Demetres
Marge Goldin
Lisa Landers
Tender Loving Cats has been nominated for Best of Long Island in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024! We could not be more proud. Thank you Bethpage Credit Union for making this possible.
Tender Loving Cats, Inc. is proud to have been awarded grant funding from the following esteemed grantors -
