06/18/2026
We are currently working on a colony with at least 23 adult cats. To date we have pulled 38 kittens, and there are at least a couple more. We've fixed nine of the adults.
Each kitten eats a can of wet food per day in addition to kibble, and several have needed formula (either bottle feeding or for added calories and nutrition). 17 of the kittens we kept for two weeks and then transferred to another rescue. Total food cost for those ones was about $250, and another $60 in transportation costs.
The rest of them we'll have for at least two weeks, probably longer. Total food cost every two weeks for 20 kittens is about $300. We've had most of them for two weeks already, but some of them I pulled a week ago or even just yesterday so it's hard to calculate exactly. Let's say we keep these other 20 for at least a month each. That will mean about $600 on food.
All 38 cats total have gone through about $100 of antibiotics. Only a couple of them have needed veterinary care, but that's because I know how to do almost everything they need myself. I've been over here doing syringe feeding, enemas, abscess draining (shout out to Jewell who did that part for me because *shudder*), antibiotics, monitoring, etc. we've only had to spend about $600 at the vet so far. However, Wunder needs to go back and be assessed now that's getting stronger, so we'll find out on Saturday if she needs more care.
TNR supplies for the adults, including food, potty pads, and transportation costs are roughly $10 per cat, and we've done 9 so that's $90. We will likely do about 10 more in the next two weeks, so another $100.
Totaling that all up:
TNR for 19 cats: $190
Vet: $600
Meds: $100
Food: $850
Transportation: $60
Total: $1,800
And that does not account for our time, labor, energy, or expertise. Only ONE kitten has died, but we've had some close calls and a lot of interventions. There's been more than a handful of sleepless nights, we're all exhausted, and we're not even done yet.
The colony owners, who are an elderly couple, made a $100 donation.
This colony started with two cats. They had two females, and didn't get them fixed because they were both females so they couldn't breed together. But folks, male cats male portals through spacetime in order to find females. They will ALWAYS come.
Spay and Neuter your pets, because I desperately just want to sleep.
