Mewsletter: Year 2018 in Review
What a year it has been! When Tender Loving Cats, Inc. was started in January of 2017, our mission was simple, yet incredibly complex, to “rescue the mistreated, save the injured and love the abandoned.” While it is difficult to put a number as to how many feral cats reside on Long Island, it is fair to say that sheer volume of feral cats on Long Island is overwhelming and we are in a state of crisis. While there are more & more rescue groups, including ours, that work to educate the public on trap, neuter and release/return of feral cats as a humane solution to the feral cat overpopulation, as well as find homes for those that can be adopted out after spay/neuter, it is incredibly difficult to keep up with the calls that come in daily from those needing help placing kittens found in backyards to the daily calls from owners who need/want to rehome their pets. 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. Tender Loving Cats, Inc. came from that need and with this goal in mind.
Despite these challenges, with the help of volunteers, fosters, our veterinarians and supporters, we have been able to make an impactful change on this issue. Although we have only been officially up and running for 18 months, we have been able to rescue close to 450 cats and kittens from the streets of Long Island in that time and of that number, we have adopted out 400 into loving forever homes. In 2018 we adopted out 300 of those cats & kittens alone. We’ve spayed/neutered close to 150 feral cats for Trap-Neuter-Return and we do not take kittens from an area unless all the adults are spayed/neutered. In addition, we’ve taken on many cats & kittens that have needed medical care above and beyond the norm, including eye removal surguries, entropion eyelid surgeries, orthopedic hip surgery and many dental procedures to ensure that cats and kittens that were facing neglect as a result of living on the streets were made whole once more.
While we have accomplished so much already, there is still so much left to do! In 2019, we are hoping to grow on what we have already achieved and adopt out 400 cats and kittens that were formally residing on the streets of Long Island. We are also aiming to start a low-cost spay/neuter program for feral cats and owned cats of low –income individuals, which we are calling the “P.A.L – Prevent a Litter” program.
2018 was a year of significant achievement, including the opening of our beautiful PetSmart Adoption Center location at 1208 Deer Park Ave, N. Babylon, NY and I cannot wait to see what 2019 brings. While our goals are lofty, I am confident that with continued support, we can achieve even greater things. From all of us here at Tender Loving Cats, thank you. Thank you for being a critical member of our team and allowing us to persistently work towards our mission – to “rescue the mistreated, save the injured and love the abandoned.”
Peace, Love & Cats,
Rebecca Caro
Founder & President
Tender Loving Cats, Inc.
Despite these challenges, with the help of volunteers, fosters, our veterinarians and supporters, we have been able to make an impactful change on this issue. Although we have only been officially up and running for 18 months, we have been able to rescue close to 450 cats and kittens from the streets of Long Island in that time and of that number, we have adopted out 400 into loving forever homes. In 2018 we adopted out 300 of those cats & kittens alone. We’ve spayed/neutered close to 150 feral cats for Trap-Neuter-Return and we do not take kittens from an area unless all the adults are spayed/neutered. In addition, we’ve taken on many cats & kittens that have needed medical care above and beyond the norm, including eye removal surguries, entropion eyelid surgeries, orthopedic hip surgery and many dental procedures to ensure that cats and kittens that were facing neglect as a result of living on the streets were made whole once more.
While we have accomplished so much already, there is still so much left to do! In 2019, we are hoping to grow on what we have already achieved and adopt out 400 cats and kittens that were formally residing on the streets of Long Island. We are also aiming to start a low-cost spay/neuter program for feral cats and owned cats of low –income individuals, which we are calling the “P.A.L – Prevent a Litter” program.
2018 was a year of significant achievement, including the opening of our beautiful PetSmart Adoption Center location at 1208 Deer Park Ave, N. Babylon, NY and I cannot wait to see what 2019 brings. While our goals are lofty, I am confident that with continued support, we can achieve even greater things. From all of us here at Tender Loving Cats, thank you. Thank you for being a critical member of our team and allowing us to persistently work towards our mission – to “rescue the mistreated, save the injured and love the abandoned.”
Peace, Love & Cats,
Rebecca Caro
Founder & President
Tender Loving Cats, Inc.
Purrs and Kisses:
We could not have accomplished everything we have without the continued assistance and dedication of our supporters, donors, volunteers, and veterinarians that enable us to save the lives of homeless cats and kittens on Long Island.
Volunteers: The volunteers at our North Babylon PetSmart location not only ensure that our cats are fed and their living quarters are clean, but also provide the socialization necessary to ensure our cats and kittens are successful in their furever homes. From those volunteers who help trap & rescue cats from the streets, to our medical team of volunteers and foster coordinator, to our adoption application committee, to those that deliver our cats & kittens to forever homes - we are nothing without YOU!
Fosters: Our amazing foster parents are the backbone of this organization, and without fosters, we could not rescue from the streets of Long Island every day. I’m often asked how we have the nicest, most outgoing cats & kittens and I attribute that to the incredible foster homes where these cats & kittens are raised.
Supporters: From monetary donations, to toys and litter, to shares on Facebook & Instagram your support ensures that we are able to meet the daily needs of our cats and kittens.
Veterinarians: We would never be able to give our cats the outstanding medical care we provide without the incredible veterinarians at Dix Hills Animal Hospital, Long Island Spay & Neuter, South Shore Animal Hospital, and Dr. Tomas Infernuso. We appreciate the incredible care they provide, their dedication to our rescue cats & kittens and commitment to excellence in veterinary medicine.
Adopters: Thank you for providing our cats and kittens with the loving furever home they all deserve. Knowing that the cats and kittens we rescue are so very loved is what allows us to work tirelessly day in and out.
PetSmart, North Babylon Staff: We are so grateful for the staffs at PetSmart in North Babylon, who are continually supportive of our cause and allow us the resources to achieve our mission.
We could not have accomplished everything we have without the continued assistance and dedication of our supporters, donors, volunteers, and veterinarians that enable us to save the lives of homeless cats and kittens on Long Island.
Volunteers: The volunteers at our North Babylon PetSmart location not only ensure that our cats are fed and their living quarters are clean, but also provide the socialization necessary to ensure our cats and kittens are successful in their furever homes. From those volunteers who help trap & rescue cats from the streets, to our medical team of volunteers and foster coordinator, to our adoption application committee, to those that deliver our cats & kittens to forever homes - we are nothing without YOU!
Fosters: Our amazing foster parents are the backbone of this organization, and without fosters, we could not rescue from the streets of Long Island every day. I’m often asked how we have the nicest, most outgoing cats & kittens and I attribute that to the incredible foster homes where these cats & kittens are raised.
Supporters: From monetary donations, to toys and litter, to shares on Facebook & Instagram your support ensures that we are able to meet the daily needs of our cats and kittens.
Veterinarians: We would never be able to give our cats the outstanding medical care we provide without the incredible veterinarians at Dix Hills Animal Hospital, Long Island Spay & Neuter, South Shore Animal Hospital, and Dr. Tomas Infernuso. We appreciate the incredible care they provide, their dedication to our rescue cats & kittens and commitment to excellence in veterinary medicine.
Adopters: Thank you for providing our cats and kittens with the loving furever home they all deserve. Knowing that the cats and kittens we rescue are so very loved is what allows us to work tirelessly day in and out.
PetSmart, North Babylon Staff: We are so grateful for the staffs at PetSmart in North Babylon, who are continually supportive of our cause and allow us the resources to achieve our mission.
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A Home for the Holidays:
As 2018 comes to a close and 2019 begins, we wanted to reflect on some of our incredible and happy “tails” from our first year. 
Heidi In August we rescued Heidi, an extremely anemic, flea infested, extremely underweight kitty (only 4lbs), who had she been left outside may not have lived much longer. A amazing foster stepped up for Heidi and after 3 months she had doubled her weight and was healthy enough to undergo her dental surgery and spay but Heidi’s real present came when her foster decided to love Heidi forever and adopt her! Heidi spent the first 5yrs of her life outdoors, not spayed and barely fed. Heidi is now a cherished part of a family her horrible past is now just a distant memory. 
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Oreo
Oreo was found with horrible injuries, as a tiny 6-week old kitten by a Good Samaritan who stopped to pick her up from the left-hand lane of the Long Island Expressway, after surgery to repair her broken hip, months of recovery and physical therapy at Dix Hills Animal Hospital she was able to heal completely. After fully healed, and just a few days before Christmas, Oreo received an early gift when she went to her forever home! They say a picture is worth 1,000 words well this picture says it all... Pictured is Oreo looking upon the harsh life she left outdoors and now in her new home, with lots of warm snuggy beds and arms to lay in! |
A New Home in a New Year:
Meet some of the cats and kittens that are hoping to start the new year in a new home! If you are interested in adopting please apply here: https://www.tenderlovingcats.org/adoption-application.html
Meet some of the cats and kittens that are hoping to start the new year in a new home! If you are interested in adopting please apply here: https://www.tenderlovingcats.org/adoption-application.html
Biscotti
Biscotti was born outside in of September 2018, along with her sister, Macaroon. TLC assisted with the spay/neuter of outside feral cats, and was introduced to these 2 little kittens, one with horrible double eye infections. Biscotti was fortunate to get help early enough but she has corneal scarring, from the untreated eye infections in both eyes.
She has been sweet since day one, loving to cuddle with humans and play with her sister. She has been fostered with a small dog, and children. Her vision is very slightly limited, she’s a playful and happy little kitten!
Once your application is approved, you can meet Biscotti in her foster home.
Biscotti was born outside in of September 2018, along with her sister, Macaroon. TLC assisted with the spay/neuter of outside feral cats, and was introduced to these 2 little kittens, one with horrible double eye infections. Biscotti was fortunate to get help early enough but she has corneal scarring, from the untreated eye infections in both eyes.
She has been sweet since day one, loving to cuddle with humans and play with her sister. She has been fostered with a small dog, and children. Her vision is very slightly limited, she’s a playful and happy little kitten!
Once your application is approved, you can meet Biscotti in her foster home.
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Fiona Fiona was found outdoors dumped in a feral colony on LI. Sadly, the other cats knew she was not feral and chased her away from the food. Fiona is one of the most amazing cats you’ll ever meet. She’s estimated to have been born in May 2017. Fiona is a gentle, sweet and loving girl, who is also absolutely stunningly beautiful. She loves attention, loves to lay on laps and is very outgoing. Fiona will be the first to greet you at the door when you get home and this long haired beauty loves to be brushed. Fiona has lived with other cats, small quiet dogs and children. |
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More About Tessa - -https://www.petfinder.com/cat/tessa-43526044/ny/north-babylon/tender-loving-cats-inc-ny1366/
A Note From Tessa:
What a difference love can make. Live, Love, Meow!
What a difference love can make. Live, Love, Meow!
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Hi, my name is Tessa. If you have stopped by the North Babylon PetSmart, you may have seen me. Although I am enjoying a comfortable life now, this is not always the way it has been. My brother and I were rescued from a hard life outside. The women feeding us in her yard had allowed the population to explode, feeding us but having no guidance or help regarding controlling our cat colony population through spaying and neutering. Luckily for us, Tender Loving Cats stepped in to help spay and neuter all the cats and take my brother and me into their adoption program!
Can you help you help improve the lives of homeless cats on Long Island by making a contribution of $10, $20, or $50, today? I know that I am one of the lucky ones, but there are so many cats still out there that need the help of organizations, such as Tender Loving Cats! The road to ending cat homelessness on Long Island is long, but I know with the help of people, like you, we can make an impact. |
Your donation today will help cats like me get off the streets, receive the medical treatment, including spaying and neutering, we need, as well as cover our day-to-day needs. Since Tender Loving Cats, Inc. is an all-volunteer run organization, you can rest assured knowing that all donated funds are going to cats and kittens, like my friends and myself.
I hope you will join me in changing the lives of a cat by contributing $10, $20, $50 or whatever you can afford. Contributions can be made on our GivingGrid to recieve a “Live, Love, Meow Magnet” https://www.givinggrid.com/help-homeless-cats, via our PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2396031 or by mailing a check made out to: Tender Loving Cats, Inc. P.O. Box 827 Melville, NY 11747. We are counting on you to make sure cats and kittens on Long Island get the care and love they deserve, so please consider helping us start the year off on the right paw by making a contribution TODAY! Purrs and kisses of gratitude, Tessa |
Upcoming Fundraisers:
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Paint Your Pet Night Fundraiser! Paint Your Pet Night Cinque Terre 872 East Jericho Tpke. Huntington Station, NY 11746 Friday Feb 8th 7pm - 9pm $55 (Includes soda & dessert) Come and paint a custom picture of your pet that you can keep forever! This is the perfect gift for someone special or just yourself. You do not need to be an artist because it’s pre-drawn on the canvas and all the picture come out amazing! Just take a look at some of last years pictures at https://www.tenderlovingcats.org/paint-your-pet-night-fundraiser.html |
Got Gift Cards?
Tender Loving Cats, Inc. is collecting any un-used Gift Cards you may have received and can not use.
Please mail Gift Cards to
PO Box 827, Melville, NY 11747.
We are also accepting any new and un-used items for raffle baskets. They can be mailed to our PO Box or dropped off at PetSmart
N. Babylon, 1208 Deer Park Ave,
N. Babylon, NY
Thank you for your support!! ️