Cats Are Family Too™
Supporting and providing for cats and those who care for them through today’s trying times.
Since the early months of the COVID-19 crisis, Alley Cat Allies’ Cats Are Family Too™ program has provided no-cost food, veterinary care, and other needed supplies in communities across the country to support people caring for animal companions at home and community cats outdoors. In doing so, we are Keeping Families Together™.
Cats and other animals are important and irreplaceable members of the family, and especially during a crisis, it’s critical to keep families together. Nobody should have to choose between caring for their animals and caring for themselves, or feel pressured to give up their family member.
By creating and bolstering food and veterinary resources for cats and dogs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the tumultuous post-COVID era, Cats Are Family Too is providing much-needed relief during a time of great financial crisis. Our goal is to prevent relinquishment of animals to shelters and to enable caregivers to continue feeding community cats.
What Cats Are Family Too Does
Through Cats Are Family Too, Alley Cat Allies has donated thousands of pounds of dog and cat food and cat litter to communities across the United States. Many of these supplies have been distributed to those in need through local food banks and pantries.
All food and litter is given at no cost to recipients, with no income restrictions or proof of residence required. The result is that cats who live indoors can stay in their homes, and community cats can continue to be fed by good Samaritans.
Alley Cat Allies has also provided emergency grants to dozens of animal organizations across the country for food, lifesaving veterinary care, vaccinations and other urgent needs.
Why Keeping Families Together Matters
Food availability and access to veterinary care for cats and other animals has become a significant and growing concern. Alley Cat Allies recognizes that with skyrocketing unemployment and financial insecurity, there is a major and increasing risk that people will feel they cannot keep their animals in their homes or continue to feed community cats.
Many of these animals could be brought to animal shelters, where they may be killed. For cats, especially community cats who are generally not socialized to people or adoptable, the risk is extremely high.
Alley Cat Allies is committed to avoiding this catastrophe. As the effects of the pandemic continue to ravage communities, border-defying and ever-evolving, it is our priority to defend the lives of animals and the emotional wellbeing of those who care for them.
A Groundbreaking Approach to Saving Lives
Cats Are Family Too has helped pave the way for the future of disaster response for animals. In our work during the pandemic, especially with Feeding Florida, a statewide network of food banks, we created a model in which community food banks expand their reach to provide food not only for people, but for animal family members and community cats.
Find Resources for Cats and Other Animals
As part of Cats Are Family Too, Alley Cat Allies has compiled information to help you provide for the animals in your home and community cats outdoors.
- If you need local animal food assistance for your animals, search our Animal Food Bank Directory by state and by city at alleycat.org/FoodBank.
- For help finding financial resources, including spay and neuter assistance, visit our Financial Resources for Cats page at alleycat.org/Economy.
- Access guides and information on how to stay safest while caring for cats in this post COVID era and read heartwarming stories about lives that have been saved at alleycat.org/Coronavirus.