Furry Friends to take part in ‘Giving Tuesday’ with hope to raise $10,000

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Furry Friends will participate in Giving Tuesday as they aim to raise at least $10,000 for medical expenses for the cats they serve.

Giving Tuesday, which is scheduled for Nov. 29,  is an internationally recognized day of giving that encourages community members and organizations to engage in philanthropy. 

Since Furry Friends is a no-kill cat rescue, medical expenses can be high. The organization spent $250,000 to care for 500 cats in 2021, stated a news release. There’s also an additional 1,200 to 1,500 cats the food pantry provides food for each year. 

One of the cats the organization helped recently was Bella who came to Furry Friends with chronic ear infections and growths in her ears. The cat was in pain that medication couldn’t cure, so the organization removed one of her ear canals and was able to remove the masses in her other ear.

Bella is now deaf in one ear, but the masses were not cancerous. The release stated the cat’s surgery and care has cost around $7,000. 



There’s also Oliver, who came from a home with five adult cats and 12 other kittens. Oliver was eight ounces when he came to Furry Friends at around five weeks old, which is well below the weight he should have been. The kitten was also infested with fleas and ear mites, which caused severe anemia, which kills thousands of kittens each year. They discovered Oliver’s platelets were nonexistent and the cat would randomly start bleeding out of his ears. The care for Oliver has so far cost $1,800. 

Oscar, another cat Furry Friends helped, has allergies to almost all cat food and almost everything outside. He was originally declared un-adoptable and set for euthanasia before Furry Friends intervened. Oscar is currently eating prescription food, cannot go outside, and wears clothes to prevent him from licking himself until he bleeds, the release stated. He also receives frequent doses of steroids to reduce the inflammation. His medical care costs around $2,500, according to the release.

Anyone who wants to donate to Furry Friends during Giving Tuesday can do so online at furry friendswa.org/donate or auctria.events/GivingTuesday2022furry friends. People can also donate through the Facebook page at facebook.com/furryfriendswa. 

More information on Giving Tuesday can be found online at givingtuesday.org.