Local non-profit animal adoption service offers second chance for helpless felines

Kaylee Micu/Staff Writer

A small kitten looks up at you with large pleading eyes. It mews softly and you give into the innocence of the small creature and decide to adopt it.
This is what happens at the “no kill” organization, TigeraCat. Since January 2008, president/founder Michelle Larson has been rescuing cats from all over Iowa and caring for them. For 20 years, Michelle has been taking in cats and caring for them so that they may find a home of their own.

Now she has the organization TigeraCat to help fulfill her dream of healthier, happier cats everywhere. “I’ve always loved cats, and I wanted to do something to help them,” Larson said.

TigeraCat is a non-profit organization that runs solidly on donations and hard volunteer work. “We are desperate for volunteers to help with our myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/tigeracatrescues), Facebook (TigeraCat), other computer things, artwork and anyone who can take the time to play with our kittens and cats,” Larson said. TigeraCat is located at 212 East 9th Street in Waterloo, Iowa. If you have questions you can call at 319-291-7166 or 319-830-4603.

Adoption fees vary from $45 to $75 depending on whether you have vet care provided. To adopt a cat or kitten, you must call the organization to set up and appointment if you have a particular cat in mind, then fill out an application. TigeraCat will call your references to see if you will really care for the animal. Then Larson or a volunteer will come and evaluate your home to see if it is safe for the animal, and if they are satisfied that you will be a caring owner. Later they will call you and tell you if your application is accepted.

TigeraCat currently does not have an office or shelter, so the cats stay with owners or rescuers until they are adopted.
TigeraCat’s cats are taken in and given medical treatment if they are sick. At adoption, the money you give to the organization is used for the cats’ playthings, food and medical treatment. Since TigeraCat works with other shelters and Humane societies, they give TigeraCat some of the adoptable kittens and cats that are on death row.

Feral, or wildcats, are caught in colonies of up to six-30 with the help of neighbors willing to help save cats from getting killed. TigeraCat and their partnerships catch these cats and give them vaccinations for rabies and spay/neuter them as well in order to keep the cat population from becoming too overwhelming.

The TigeraCat’s website (TigeraCat.com) provides information and photo’s of all of their adoptable cats. They also provide information on how to donate, upcoming events, help on caring for your cat and even adoption forms. They may even provide information of other societies and shelters on where to give the animal if they’re too busy or full.

On average, TigeraCat receives 14-40 cats a week that need homes. They have close to 400 cats who now need homes with an average of 11 adopted per week.

Since the start of TigeraCat, Larson and volunteer’s have managed to raise over $5,000 thanks to donations. With the money, they hope to raise enough to build a shelter that can hold more cats and even add a small clinic to reduce prices on vaccinations.

TigeraCat’s goal is to give all cats a second chance by not killing them no matter how long it takes for them to be adopted. Last week, they took around five cats to Cattle Congress in hopes of giving them new loving homes.