Get Cooper Cat Back Home

Currently homeless, living in my car and need to get an apartment so I’m off the streets before it gets really cold AND be back with my kitties.

The picture is of my cat Cooper. He is 14 years old, is part Maine Coon and is a big lovable orange cat. He has a fur sister named Audrey who is mostly black so I have Halloween cats. We’re not together right now, he is in foster care for a few more weeks. I got caught up in the whole COVID eviction moratorium and had to leave my apartment. There were court dates, landlord threats & retaliations, and in the middle of all that my car broke down. A great group of friends pitched in to help me pay to fix my car so I could move out before the eviction & get my dear kitties someplace safe. The first four options for my cats fell apart, some suggested just giving them up, finally I got word that one place would take them but only for a few weeks. So as of 9/12 I found myself homeless, with two older cats in temporary foster care. I’m living in the now working car, on the streets some nights, a few nights in hotels, & until the end of the season I’ve been able to camp in county & state parks. I’m in the Madison, Wisconsin area and yes it’s been cold @ night.

What I’ve run into is that because I work a variety of gigs that landlords are asking for more rent up front in addition to 1st month and something I had never encountered before -- a large pet fee up front. With some help I think I can cover the security deposit and 1st month rent but extra rent is beyond what I could hope to have in the time before my kitties will need to be picked up or sent to a shelter. Plus cold weather is coming and living in my car on the streets will not be a good thing.

As for shelters for me I’m transgendered and this makes going to either a men’s or women’s shelter both dangerous & not an option. The main thing is that I feel like I’ve let Cooper & Audrey down, he was so distraught when he was put into a carrier, and then as I handed him to the pet place. If cats could cry he would have, Audrey hissed, growled, and tried to get out. Before this we’d not spent a night apart for over three years.

I’m asking other pet people to please help me get a place to live so Cooper & his fur sister can come home to me. I need a hand up not a hand out. Looking for a few months rent that I can pay upfront and $ to cover pet fees & deposits. Anything extra will give me a cushion to insure I’m safe.

Thanks for any help!!

CJ in Madison, Wisconsin