I Want To Start A Cat Shelter.

bpenniman

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I'm seriously considering starting a shelter for aging cats. The humane societies are full of elderly cats and I see on Craigslist older cats being given up so often. I've talked to the officials in the town I live in on the phone and I'm thinking about setting it up. I am thinking about starting it small on the lower duplex where i live. I live in the upper. I want to start out with 5 or so cats at first. There's a large sunroom where I want to make cat jungles and catwalks on the walls. There's 3 bedrooms and a large living room. I currently do have the money but would have to go to part time. I also want at least 5 or 6 thousand saved up in case of emergencies. I have money saved up but would want to start a savings account specifically for the shelter. Im going to wait at least until late summer/fall but I'd really like to. Any advice?
 

Kat0121

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:hugs:
Bless your heart is all I can offer!!! :clap2: :rock:

If I lived you near I would volunteer to help!! I take it you have a fairly large amount of knowledge on taking care of cats?
I second that!! The world needs more people like you. Here's a link to a shelter in Washington state that does just that. I'd reach out to them and ask for advice.

Seniors for Seniors » PAWS

Here's one in NYC

Senior Pets: All They Need Is Love

Here's another one. I'm not sure where they are located but I bet that any of these would be able to give you some pointers.

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FeebysOwner

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I am sure you already thought of it - or maybe have even done it - but you could volunteer at a cat shelter and get a gazillion tips on what to do/not to do and how to do it/not to do it. It would also help you to prepare a list of inventory items you would need to purchase/have donated to prepare the shelter. You could even find people in your area, that volunteer or work for a shelter and pick their brains. Maybe one or more of them would be willing to work side by side with you for a while.

I know - I am only 'scratching the surface'.
 

Kat0121

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I am sure you already thought of it - or maybe have even done it - but you could volunteer at a cat shelter and get a gazillion tips on what to do/not to do and how to do it/not to do it. It would also help you to prepare a list of inventory items you would need to purchase/have donated to prepare the shelter. You could even find people in your area, that volunteer or work for a shelter and pick their brains. Maybe one or more of them would be willing to work side by side with you for a while.

I know - I am only 'scratching the surface'.
You might also need a mentor who could help you set up a non profit.
 

PipersMom

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A long time ago, I met a woman who took in and cared for abandoned cats. She actually contacted me about a chocolate lab someone had dumped on her property because I did lab rescue and the shelter had my info. I wasn't sure what to think as she told me about her "cat house" over the phone. I went out to pick up the dog and she wanted to show me the cat house. I was honestly blown away. It was clearly her passion. Her late husband had built this large building complete with individual housing and 2 separate common areas with cat walks, trees, toys, etc. She spent most of her time caring for those cats. Some had special needs. Every cat had it's own little kennel/house with a card that listed it's name and any needs it may have. It was the cleanest animal housing I had ever seen. I was in awe... she was a really special lady.

So, good for you! It's really hard work, but it's rewarding. Finding someone who could mentor you while you get established would probably be really helpful. :)
 

Willowy

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It would probably be better to foster for an established non-profit than try to do it alone. And, yes, check the local ordinances.

Did you want to start a sanctuary, or adopt cats out? The legal situation is very different depending on that.

(And I'll also point out that $5000-$6000 in savings will not be enough as a backup. That could go so quickly you don't even want to think about it. So until you can get more capital, I think fostering for an established rescue is best. I'd hate to see you get in over your head).
 
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neely

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I commend you for your efforts on behalf of all the senior cats. :clap:
You may also want to try working with a vet that will be supportive and offer assistance at a discounted fee. All cats especially seniors have health related problems as they age. Best of luck, can't wait to hear about your updates in late summer/fall. :goodluck:
 

daftcat75

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I strongly recommend talking to other shelters or volunteering with them first to learn the kinds of things you don't want to learn the hard way when yours gets going.

Senior cats frequently have special needs or health challenges. These are usually why they are abandoned or surrendered. What is your plan for handling these cats? If you volunteer at a shelter first, you may be able to build the kind of contacts and relationships that could lure a vet to do discounted or donated work for you later.

Finally, I recommend consulting with a lawyer to know the ordinances but also to navigate setting yourself up as a public charity. You will have an easier time asking for and receiving donations (and not having to pay taxes on them yourself) if you can offer a tax deduction to the donors. The other advantage here is that you want to shield your personal assets. If the shelter doesn't work out, you don't want creditors coming after your home and car and anything else of value. Also, try to use crowdfunding over your own funds if possible. This will undoubtedly cost you way more than you anticipate. Don't let it break you.
 

Kieka

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I strongly recommend talking to other shelters or volunteering with them first to learn the kinds of things you don't want to learn the hard way when yours gets going.

Senior cats frequently have special needs or health challenges. These are usually why they are abandoned or surrendered. What is your plan for handling these cats? If you volunteer at a shelter first, you may be able to build the kind of contacts and relationships that could lure a vet to do discounted or donated work for you later.

Finally, I recommend consulting with a lawyer to know the ordinances but also to navigate setting yourself up as a public charity. You will have an easier time asking for and receiving donations (and not having to pay taxes on them yourself) if you can offer a tax deduction to the donors. The other advantage here is that you want to shield your personal assets. If the shelter doesn't work out, you don't want creditors coming after your home and car and anything else of value. Also, try to use crowdfunding over your own funds if possible. This will undoubtedly cost you way more than you anticipate. Don't let it break you.
All that. Setting it up as a non-profit also protects your personal finances if something goes seriously wrong.

The more I think about the more I think being a foster for an established agency would be better. Once you build up a social media following you can then think about branching out on your own. I know someone I follow fosters through a rescue and she gets donations so that she doesn't dip into the rescues resources. Doing that would let you see if you can get enough to support your operations and how much it will cost before it's your personal finances on the line.
 

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A lot of good information here! I know your drive is related to the older cats who don't fair well being turned out at an older age, and/or can't be adopted as easily, if ever.

Find out what you can do as a foster, with direction toward the older cats. I don't know how it works, but you might be able to work your way into the process enough that you can find funding to permanently take care of those you are fostering should they not be adopted??
 

rubysmama

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I hope you can make your dream of having a shelter for aging cats come true. But, as others have mentioned, be sure to do your research first.

Here's a link where @catwoman707 explained all about setting up a non-profit. The thread is super long, but the link takes you right to the post with the information.
My Feral And Rescued Cats
 
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bpenniman

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The problem with fostering is that I can't take in more than 3 cats maximum in my town and I already have 2 cats. I checked with my town. But I have more money than just in that savings account. So I could easily take out what I need for the shelter.
 

Norachan

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It's a wonderful idea and I'm sure you'll be able to find plenty of cats who need your help.

It would be great if you spent at least a year helping out at your local shelter before you start, so you know exactly what to prepare for.

For example, are you taking in cats to rehome or are you going to keep them permanently?
If you do rehome them what are your adoption policies going to be?
How much is it going to cost to get each cat vetted before they can share a space with the cats you have?
How much money do you need to set aside for senior cat health care?
Do you own the duplex or will you need to get permission from the landlord before you convert part of it to a cat shelter?
What modifications do you need to make?
Does your current home insurance cover you?
Are you going to be self funding or are you going to ask for donations?
How do you go about registering as a charity if you need donations?

Maybe @jcat could give you more advice about this.
 

Willowy

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If you can't have more cats now, they probably won't let you operate a shelter either. Make sure you get that cleared up before you do anything.

If they'll allow it if you get a kennel license, you could get the license now just for fostering.
 
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bpenniman

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As many of you know, in 2020 I'm hoping to start a cat shelter. I've also done organic farming in the past. So I have a new way to make income. Family members are giving me 2 acres of land. I'm going to grow Chinese medicinal herbs. I've done organic farming in the past and have made good money. Chinese medicinal herbs earn you more. So the past 2 wks, I've been contacting wholesalers, and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and Chinese medicine colleges. I've secured about 22,000 for income. That's also with expenses included. I have the potential to make 40,000 if I can get enough contacts. I've talked to the local and state government and agencies and I can run part of the farm as a non-profit. That means income from the farm could go to cat shelter. I would work on the Chinese medicinal farm 4 hrs a day, that's with just 1 acre. Chinese herbs are in shortage and sell for alot. I also do online accounting, which, surprisingly, makes me decent money. I would scale that down to part time. I also have money saved and in stocks. I would want to have one volunteer or part time care worker for the shelter. If I could do online accounting in the 3 bedroom lower duplex, I could watch the cats while doing work. I only want around 6 cats, but cats that are elderly and with health issues or behavioral issues. That's to start out with. I want to wait until next yr. I hope this works out well.
 

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Hi, I only just saw your previous thread, but one of the important questions that W Willowy and had posted I have not seen an answer for:

If you can't have more cats now, they probably won't let you operate a shelter either. Make sure you get that cleared up before you do anything.

If they'll allow it if you get a kennel license, you could get the license now just for fostering.
.

Have you found the answer to this? It would suck if you put in so much work to start and then a few months in someone complains and then you are forced to shut down when they find you are over the limit.

Also as FeebysOwner FeebysOwner had stated

I am sure you already thought of it - or maybe have even done it - but you could volunteer at a cat shelter and get a gazillion tips on what to do/not to do and how to do it/not to do it. It would also help you to prepare a list of inventory items you would need to purchase/have donated to prepare the shelter. You could even find people in your area, that volunteer or work for a shelter and pick their brains. Maybe one or more of them would be willing to work side by side with you for a while.

I know - I am only 'scratching the surface'.
Although I can imagine every single one of us cat lovers would want to run our own shelter and help as many cats as we can... are we really ready? Have you volunteered at a shelter before and learned the insider tips/tricks? Do you have cost projections? Business plan? Even if it's a not-for-profit you should still be treating it as a business, the BBB will sure be looking at you as such.

Whereabouts are you located? Maybe I could help you with some things if you decide to go ahead with it.
 
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