Nov. 14. The lingering effect of COVID-19 has driven needs for community cats higher than ever before. The lack of low-cost veterinarians due to limited staffing and rising costs has resulted in many new kittens and cats in need of emergency medical help as well as general TNR (trap, neuter, return) services, according to Cornelius-based Lucky Cats, a spay/neuter/medical care effort for feral cats.
Requests from the community to help have also risen, as well as demand for Lucky Cats help.
Desperate calls seeking help from Statesville to Charlotte and everywhere in between are a regular occurrence.
Fundraiser
“Our Fall Call for Care fundraiser is a call to the community to raise needed funds to help us continue our work into 2023 and beyond,” said Robin Byrd, executive director. “We’re grateful that we are here for calls for help and grateful to our supporters who make successful outcomes possible.”
As the rates of our community’s unowned cats grow each day due to population growth, financial struggles, and lack of spay/neuters, adoption rates cannot keep up. It can mean a death sentence.
“Through supporting the Lucky Cat Program, unowned cats in need receive medical care and spay/neuter services and stay out of the shelters, ending the breeding cycle, and creating a happy future for a healthy Lucky Cat,” said Lucky Cat founder and president Abigail Jennings.
Cats in crisis
Recently, their efforts diverted disaster when a homeowner moved and left behind 17 breeding cats outside and four kittens inside. Through extraordinary measures by dedicated volunteers and Lucky Cat donors, these cats were swiftly trapped, received medical attention, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and transitioned to a new feeding area with a new caretaker in a successful TNR mission.
Eleven cats were adopted and neighbors agreed to feed the remaining community cats. One of the kittens, Ashley, was first thought to be deaf but upon visiting the vet was diagnosed with needing surgery to remove a polyp from her ear. Her medical bill was immense and is only one of many.
These cats are now truly Lucky Cats.
Cat tales
—Roxie was found at the age of about three weeks along with two of her siblings on the side of the road in Taylorsville, NC. Their mom had been hit and killed. They do not know how long the kittens had been without food. They were covered in fleas when they were found, and two of the siblings died leaving Roxie as the sole survivor. Little Roxie is truly a Lucky Cat and will lead a much happier life thanks to Lucky Cat supporters. She is currently in foster care gaining weight and strength so that she may be placed for adoption through one of our partner rescues. Sevine, a tiny gray tabby weighing less than a pound, was found on the side of I-77. She was taken to the vet where it was determined she had mouth injuries, scrapes, and abrasions consistent with having been thrown from a car. Her treatment has added one more Lucky Cat to the world. She is currently in foster care awaiting her opportunity for adoption through one of our rescue partners. 
—Dezi was trapped at Lowes Home Improvement in Mooresville and required a partial tail amputation costing over $500. He needed surgery fairly quickly to prevent infection from overtaking his body. With the veterinarian shortage, finding a vet who could schedule surgery quickly was challenging. He ultimately had his surgery and it was a success. Dezi has been adopted into a forever family thanks to one of our rescue partners.
Details
Efforts are currently underway to help what were once well over 100 community cats in a Charlotte neighborhood of dire economic need. Residents were feeding cats scraps of food and chicken bones, fueling an endless cycle of breeding and dying through disease and starvation. Through the work of many volunteers and partnerships, this heartbreaking cycle is ending. A dedicated and clean feeding station managed by volunteers awaits cats from their return after being trapped, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered.
Call for Care campaign
In light of the magnitude of challenges this year, the Lucky Cat Program’s Fall Call for Care hopes to successfully impact the greatest needs in our community and turn this upward trend around. In addition to financial donations, cat and kitten food donations are also being collected.
JENNINGS
“Please share this plea for help with your friends and neighbors too, as a community, we can all make a difference. Transforming the lives of these cats also helps better our community and together we can make it happen. Thanks to the generous support of our presenting sponsors, Lake Norman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Lake Norman Realty, we can continue to make a positive difference in the lives of the many community cats around us,” shared Byrd.
Fall Call to Care donors will be entered into a raffle to win a Lucky Cat Fun Pack, with each package featuring a unique gift or gift certificate, along with special treats for humans and cats. Gift certificates include On the Nines, Fresh Chef, Lake Norman Brewery, Royal Bliss, Savvy Salon and Spa, Fresh Market, Brand Name Consignment, DaVinci Fleur, among others; as well a Lake Norman waterfront vacation, or a waterfront penthouse Oak Island experience. For additional details and to donate, please visit www.LuckyCats.org.
