My name is Crystal and I'm helping my mom, Barbara, raise funds to feed feral and community cat colonies in Montgomery County, Texas. My mom and the small group of folks she works with are currently paying out of pocket to help support these kitties. They've been doing this for many years. However, due to rising pet food prices and an increasing number of cats showing up, they need some help.

The people who do this work are locals in surrounding neighborhoods (~5 people or so) and they feed 5 small colonies of cats. These cats and kittens are in places like the Walmart parking lot, behind retail strip malls, or in wooded areas within or between neighborhoods. We think some are being dumped in these locations and others, of course, are due to cats that are not yet spayed or neutered. Some of these cats are injured or ill, and some are emaciated. They are doing their best to get them care when they need it and ensure they have access to food, water, and outdoor shelters where it's feasible, but people that are helping in the community are not always consistent or able to help out for long periods of time. My mom has been able to be dedicated for many years, having the time to help out, but not everyone is able to do that.

My mom (Barbara) will work with these folks and other groups such as Operation Pets Alive or Texas Litter Control to TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return, if feral) the cats as needed. This small group of community cat supporters also helps coordinate vet care or animal transport, or to help find a foster. The biggest need right now is food costs, due to rising prices. One case (40 cans) of Friskies canned cat food is $25-$32, and a bag of dry food is around $15-$20.

We see so many GoFundMe campaigns out there that we thought we would try it to see if it can help them get by for a while. We are asking friends, family, neighbors, and the extended community to help them by making a small donation so they can continue to keep a watchful eye on the kitties and make sure they get food, water, and outdoor shelters which protect them from all sorts of weather. As an example, I'm sure you all may remember the unusual freezing weather in Texas that happened a few winters ago. This group built homemade pet shelters out of plastic bins and hay to help keep the cats comfortable and alive during such an extreme situation.

So please, if you're able to give a few dollars, that would be amazing, as many of these folks helping are low or no income, retired, etc. We plan to post this to Nextdoor, Facebook, Instagram, and anywhere we can find to get some help, so please share far and wide! Thank you so much for reading this far and any help you can provide!