06/12/2026
🐾 An Update from Atchison Alley Cats Alliance 🐾
The last couple of months, we have hit the ground running thanks to the incredible support of this community.
We currently have kittens and adult cats in care across multiple foster homes, and we owe you all some numbers and updates. From the very beginning, one of our goals has been complete transparency. Many of you have followed along through our Feline Chronicles series, and today we want to share a little more about where we are and where we're headed.
To be completely honest, the last month has been hard.
While caring for multiple sick kittens and adult cats, we have experienced losses. Not because we didn't try. Not because we didn't stay up through the night. Not because we weren't willing to do everything possible.
We did.
We stayed up for hours keeping bottle babies warm. We administered medications. We rushed to provide supportive care. We celebrated the small victories and fought for every life we could.
But sometimes, despite our best efforts, it isn't enough.
We knew loss would be part of this work. We know it is unavoidable in animal rescue. Yet nothing truly prepares you for holding a tiny kitten that you've spent days fighting for and still losing them. Nothing prepares you for a kitten that is thriving, headed toward adoption, and suddenly begins crashing with no clear explanation.
Those moments are emotionally draining, mentally exhausting, and heartbreaking.
Yet we continue because every life saved makes it worth it.
Many of the kittens we fought so hard for are still with us today, recovering, growing stronger, and moving toward healthy, happy futures.
As we mentioned previously, our next scheduled trapping appointments are not until July 30. For community cats, that feels like a very long time. We know how quickly colonies can grow, and we know there is still significant need in our community.
Over the next month, you may notice us slowing down on large-scale trapping efforts.
This does not mean we are stopping.
This does not mean we are walking away from our mission.
It means we are being intentional.
Right now, appointment availability, funding, holiday schedules, quarantine space, and the medical needs of the animals already in our care require us to take a strategic pause and reset.
We currently have two large colonies actively needing assistance, and we are working on plans to address them responsibly. However, some of these colonies are dealing with illness and parasites, and it would not be safe or responsible for us to risk exposing the kittens and cats already in our care. We also do not currently have the quarantine space necessary to manage that volume safely.
So rather than overextending ourselves, we are pivoting.
During the coming month, we will be focused on:
🐾 Getting kittens currently in care spayed and neutered
🐾 Helping adoptable cats and kittens find forever homes
🐾 Building our foster network
🐾 Strengthening community partnerships
🐾 Organizing supplies and operational systems
🐾 Developing fundraising opportunities
🐾 Finalizing paperwork and procedures that support long-term sustainability
🐾 Continuing to seek additional veterinary and community partnerships
🐾 Working toward the launch of our website
This work may not always be as visible as trapping cats, but it is every bit as important.
Sustainable rescue requires planning. It requires infrastructure. It requires partnerships. It requires volunteers. It requires preparation.
This next month is about making sure that when the next trapping opportunities arise, we are ready to respond effectively and responsibly.
We will be looking for support in many different ways during this time. Whether that's helping with fundraising, transporting animals to appointments, fostering, donating supplies, making monetary contributions, assisting with website development, or lending a specialized skill, we would love to hear from you.
We had no idea what this journey would become when we started. The support, encouragement, and trust this community has shown us has been overwhelming in the best possible way.
Thank you for standing beside us through the successes, the challenges, the celebrations, and the heartbreak.
We are excited for what comes next.
If you have a special skill, passion, or interest that may help us continue growing, please reach out.
If you've wanted to help but aren't sure how, we'll be posting our volunteer interest form in the comments. Once completed, we'll follow up with information about different opportunities and have a conversation about what might be the best fit for you.
No obligation. No commitment. Just a chance to learn more and become part of the mission.
Together, we're building something that will make a lasting difference for the cats of Atchison. ❤️🐾
