I have been a caretaker to a feral colony of about 25-40 cats (yes, neutered, see the ear tips) for 6.5 years. While local animal rescue organizations have given some help in the past, they’re suffering from lack of funds lately, and are having to deal with a continuous barrage of problems from a surplus of kittens, unadopted foster cats, abandoned animals (due to foreclosures), and taking in animals from hoarders, etc.
I would like to provide for the future welfare of my “ravine cats” by starting a small business with profits (?) set aside to cover potential medical care as they age, meds (flea & mange/mite treatments), food, and in case of disasters (dog attacks, eventual relocation due to transit construction).
Don’t think I’d want to run another non-profit corporation for this, so this would not be a situation in which I could accept tax-deductible donations. Donations, sure, if that could happen, but no tax benefit to the contributor.
Instead, as I have some skills and experience in small business, shipping fulfillment, etc., I would like to operate a business with the above stated goals in mind. The problem is, finding or creating products that I could sell in various on-line venues to accomplish this. Items need not necessarily be cat-related, but would be for their benefit. Cute graphics? T-shirts? Cat toys? Not sure how I could combine my interests of cats, music, barbecue, and chocolate (and not sure I’d care for some of the suggestions I’d anticipate with that combination). I’m thinking some kind of lichen might be profitable… but I’m opening this up to all of you for ideas.
They’re all beauties, but #2 down is extraordinary.
I’m hopeless at enterprise I’m sorry to say. But maybe a blog that features one feline for each entry, with associated
t-shirts or other printed flotsam?
I do wish you well in your kitty care.
If you’ve got any friends who are into photography you could get some good closeups of cat faces to make into greeting cards etc. Several cat charities in the UK have shops on their sites, though I don’t know how many sales they get:
Barbecue…that usually works out OK, but dipping them in chocolate doesn’t improve the taste and just make 'em cranky
OK, kidding aside, what you need is exposure. Have you talked to a local paper or news organization? You could schedule an “event” such as a fund raising barbecue with the cats as featured guests (Just keep them off the menu) and invite the media along with every friend, neighbor, and guy off the street. You may come across as “the crazy cat person” but you may also get some donations too.
Kevin, I’ll be glad to contribute some sort of graphic for use on T-shirts and the like. Can’t promise it quick, but can promise it.
You can set up a CafePress account that is specifically for your enterprise, and make a bit there. Publicity, best by word of keyboard and mouth, is key. An ongoing entry, as someone else suggested, with features and stories related to particular kittiepersons is good.
Thanks for the suggestions thus far. Ideas don’t need to be restricted to traditional fund-raising types of items (which have an element of begging about them). Otherwise, I could plagarize “Feed the Children”.
Sponsor a Cat. Cat sponsorship allows you to personally connect with a cat in need while making a lasting investment in his/her future. Your donation also strengthens your cat’s local community, ensuring an extended network of support and a safe environment in which your cat can thrive.
You will receive a photo and personal profile of the cat you are sponsoring, updates on his/her wellbeing, and notes, drawings or correspondence from your cat, at least twice a year.* You will also have the opportunity to send notes and small gifts to your cat.
I’d rather go with products that people actually buy because they want and/or use them. So, an example might be a great food supplement, or household cleaning product that people or cats should have, or I could package & license music tracks that folks would want assembled, etc.
I would be willing to make an investment risk in manufacturing, labeling or warehousing items that had a chance at an eventual return. I figure that’s something most organizations aren’t geared up to do. So, instead of CafePress, which seems expensive for items, items could possibly be made up and priced more attractively.
I suppose I could re-issue my original (1978) “Cheesecake Cookbook” with its later revisions as a downloadable e-book (.PDF), as a premium. It’s all typed up, but not laid out attractively. I have Adobe Indesign (back as v.2) but don’t yet have the basic expertise.
Sarah, if you wouldn’t mind, I would certainly be happy to view any graphics or rough designs that might be ideas towards a product, logo or web page graphic.
The long-hair grey & white? He’s about 5 years old, and a real sweetie, who would rather be petted than fed. Bit of a ride to Wyoming, plus the home inspection.
These cats were mostly feral, except for a few dumpees, but most are now tamed. Of course, as its typical with sem-ferals, most don’t care to be picked up, but there are a few lap cats among them. There are so many cats that the rescuers pull from shelters to find homes for, that there isn’t much chance for these guys. Particularly as there seems to be prejudice against the black cats. Most of the colony is short-hair black cats, 4 long-hair blacks, 4 SH grey, a tabby Maine Coon, two Birman, a SH tuxedo, the LH Tuxedo, and 2 grey/white.
Ah, it’s a challenge every time I buy food at the pet store. They have a space for adoptions.
Anyway, these ravine cats are pretty well cared for, and on the whole seem happy where they are. The main thing had been to stop the flow of kittens. There are still risks from dogs off-leash, nasty people, and sometimes a coyote or raccoon. But they have their strategies for coping. Since this is California, the cats don’t suffer from any great extremes of weather, and have places to shelter when it rains.
OK, I’ve registered a domain, have hosting, and am working on designing a website for the cats. That’s going to take me awhile to upgrade my skills in that dept. Gathering images, clip art, and resource/product links. Issues of operating a website store to then follow. I have to admit that California has a horrible business environment (lots of forms, licenses, taxes, etc.).
This is our Chief Executive Officer:
Likely products to include cat toys, treats, and ? depending on wholesale availability. There are a lot of interesting items out there not necessarily carried by your local pet store, plus certain favorites that might get me some action once everyone takes pity on these poor little pusses.
At the old factory where I used to have my workshop (recently moved to the garage), the site manager as a bunch of cats in the old abandoned buildings. The cats are great for old buildings with some warehouse space at keeping down the mice population. Some people have donated food for them, they get feed well.
This is just something to get a rough presence, and build in some functionality - devise child pages, etc. I’ll have to work on getting some graphics, and see what I can cobble up on web design to improve on the concept.
