Please help Lilian, Rikki and Bunny

Emergency Appeal for Lilian, Rikki and Bunny

– This fundraiser is now closed! We reached a magnificent total of $4,275 - thank you all for your very generous donations.

If you would still like to donate to this cause, or to support the campus cats more generally, you can give a one-off or recurrent gift via our GiveNow page . All donations over $2 are tax-deductible, and you will receive an automatic receipt from GiveNow.

Original appeal:

We’re reaching out to you with urgency and hope in our hearts. The Campus Cat Coalition (CCC), a small volunteer-run charity, is facing a difficult moment—and we desperately need your help to continue caring for some of the most vulnerable cats who call the UNSW campus their home, especially Lilian, Bunny, and Rikki.

Campus Cats NSW, also known as the Campus Cat Coalition, is a registered animal welfare charity. We won’t waste your money. The Campus Cat Coalition runs lean and spends wisely on vet bills, feeding and cat management. We don’t let campus cats down. We don’t cut corners on care. Every campus cat is special and deserves the best possible care.

The Fight for Lilian’s Life

Many of you who are located at UNSW Kensington campus may have noticed Lilian, a quiet and gentle campus cat, who spends a lot of time sleeping in the garden near the Basser Steps.

Recently, Lilian became dangerously unwell. She had difficulty passing urine and became lethargic, and we were terrified for her life. She required immediate and intensive veterinary care, including a full examination under sedation, ultrasound evaluation, pathology tests and ongoing medications.

Thanks to our fast response, Lilian is on the road to recovery, but her emergency vet bills have left us reeling. We didn’t hesitate to get her the care she needed, and now we’re asking for your help to cover the cost.

Ongoing Care of Rikki and Bunny

Rikki first came to our attention after a tipoff from an observant university staff member. Soon afterwards she gave birth to a litter of kittens on campus. She was malnourished, exhausted, and scared. Alongside her was Bunny, another free-living cat and most probably her sister, equally thin and distrustful after a tough life on the streets. Neither cat trusted humans — they were surviving, not living.

But everything changed when CCC volunteers stepped in. We provided daily feeding, vet care, and gentle attention, never pushing, always patient. Slowly, they began to trust again. Rikki revealed herself to be a sweet, affectionate soul. Her four kittens were raised safely in foster care and have all since been adopted into loving homes. Once her kittens were weaned, Rikki was desexed, microchipped, and vaccinated, and is now happily back on campus, healthy and cared for.

Bunny, while still reserved, has also come a long way. Thanks to consistent care, she is no longer fearful of people. She’s now desexed, fully vaccinated, and thriving under our care.

Why These Three?

Right now, CCC cares for eight cats at UNSW. But Lilian, Rikki, and Bunny have had the greatest needs recently — medical emergencies, veterinary care, and long-term rehabilitation from fear and malnourishment. That’s why we’re focusing on their stories. Their survival has come at a high cost—and we need your help to keep going.

Costs Have Doubled

In the last two years, our vet bills have nearly doubled. And with rising food prices and increasing medical needs, we’re struggling more than ever to cover even the basics for our campus cat family — including daily meals, deworming, and flea treatments.

We don’t receive any government funding. Every dollar we spend comes from donations —from people like you who care.

Please, Help Us Continue This Work

Our goal is to raise up to $8,000 to cover the following expenses:

Recent veterinary expenses totalling $2,000:

• Lilian’s vet expenses = $1,000

• Desexing and other vet expenses for Rikki = $500

• Desexing and and other vet expenses for Bunny = $500

We are also anxious to raise funds to support ongoing food costs for our campus cat family:

• $112 = one week of food

• $480 = one month of food

• $5,800 = one year of food for the campus cat family

Please, donate now. Every donation makes a difference. Your support is lifesaving. Help us continue feeding, healing, and protecting the beautiful, resilient cats who call our campus home.

From all of us at CCC—and from Lilian, Bunny, Rikki, and their furry friends—thank you for your compassion.

Learn more at our website.