Last night (6/30), a tiny kitten wandered up our driveway—underweight, patchy fur, bloated belly, and clearly in rough shape. We’re calling her Cleo, and somehow even after who knows what she’s been through, she’s still so sweet and trusting. She ran towards us once she saw us, and we want to do everything we can for her.

She’s headed to the vet first thing tomorrow. Thanks to my stepdad and some generous folks at the clinic, her visit will include some donated basics: dewormer, flea meds, and ointment. We also have around $100-$150 covered. But we expect she’ll need testing, medicated shampoo, antibiotics, and whatever else comes up… and that’s just step one.

Once she’s stable, Cleo will still need to be spayed, vaccinated, and possibly microchipped before she can be safely rehomed—or integrated into our TNR family.

We’ve already spent around $900 out-of-pocket this year on a small feral colony in our neighborhood—mama cat Perdita and her kittens Lumi, Frida, and Chino (who we sadly lost last month after an injury). We’ve done spays, vaccinations, emergency vet visits, meds, food, shelter… and now Cleo’s landed in our laps. We weren’t planning on another, but we can’t turn her away.

If you’re able to chip in—even just $5 or $10—you’ll be helping us give her the care she desperately needs. Everything raised goes directly to her vet bills, meds, and supplies. And if you’re not in a place to donate, sharing helps too.

Thank you so much for reading and for helping us help Cleo. She’s already got a fighting spirit—we just want to give her a real shot.