Keith the Cat Foundation is a nonprofit organization designed to spread comfort and joy to children suffering from cancer. To help a child who is going through treatments like CT scans, radiation, chemotherapy; Keith the Cat sends a shirt, hat, and stuffed animal to remind the child he or she is not alone in their journey. The children can wear the shirts at the hospital to remind them they are loved. The shirt has a big pic of Keith the Cat on it and underneath it says, “You’ve been cat scanned,” which is a humorous play on the fact that the child has more than likely had a CT scan and even possibly the person seeing the shirt too. While mostly for children, Keith the Cat also sends his care package to anyone supporting the cause. Keith has sent his love to adults, children, cat lovers, and even a few dog lovers. So how did Keith the Cat get started? Here is his story.

My name is Keith … Keith the Cat. My Human named Liz rescued me from a shelter when I was two. I love to eat, get my ears scratched, and lay on my human’s lap. My human smells like honey and wildflowers and loves to laugh loudly. I love her for saving me from the lonely and scary animal shelter.

One day when I was on my human’s lap, I noticed she wasn’t laughing. Instead, Liz was crying. Because I am a cat, I wasn’t sure what she was saying. But I knew she was sad. I tried to tell Liz with my loud meows that I would be with her and help her. I even told her I would go with her to the doctor’s office if she was sad. But she never brought me with her when she went to the doctor or to the hospital.

She would come home tired and exhausted. I noticed she felt better after scratching my ears while I lay on her lap. She smiled when cuddling with me. She said, “Keith the Cat, I wish I could take you to the doctor’s office.”

One night when Liz was sleeping, I cuddled up to the other Human named John. John was tall and had a deep voice. He smelled like soft leather and pine needles. He seemed sad too. I tried to tell him what to do to cheer up Liz. I told him to make a shirt with my face on it and have Liz wear it to her doctor’s appointments. That way she always had me – Keith the Cat - with her.

A few days later, I saw John give Liz a shirt with my face on it!!! She looked at me and exclaimed, “Keith the Cat, I can take you with me when I go to the doctor’s office!!” I told her I would always be with her, and I will always love her. I told her no one should go through hard times alone. I told her to wear the Keith the Cat shirt and know “you are never alone.” Liz whispered to me, “I love you Keith the Cat for saving me from this very challenging time.”

That’s how the “Keith the Cat” t-shirt got started. And once other patients saw Liz wearing the t-shirt they asked how they could get one too. So, after having many t-shirts made and given to those needing the comfort a Keith the Cat t-shirt provides, Liz along with a friend in Michigan created the Keith the Cat Foundation. The Foundation is a Texas-based non-profit that gives the shirts to individuals requesting them, but on a larger scale, has given an abundant number of shirts to noteworthy organizations in Texas and Michigan like the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Gilda’s Clubs, the New Day Foundation and numerous physical therapy clinics that help people who’ve suffered head injuries or challenged with cancer and have had CT scans as part of their diagnosis and then recovery process. The Foundation is run from homes in Texas and Michigan, there is no overhead and every penny raised goes directly into paying for t-shirts, hats and stuffed animals. Your donation will go far in helping spread the comfort that Keith the Cat provides. Please consider donating today!