Life With 25 Cats, this nightmare can be over soon

scroll down to see my original gofundme description

we have a possibility. If I meet this new goal for this gofundme, we will be able to pay off a professional transporter to bring my cats to our new home. I want to believe we can have our cat family reunited

While I did meet my original GoFundMe goal of $2000, I need to explain that some of the funds had to be used early on just to get my cats and me through the most immediate needs—things like new cages and food. These essentials were necessary just to make it this far.

Many of my top donors, people who have spent hours of their time checking in and supporting me, doing everything they can to help me, urged me to use the fundraiser money on myself—things like motels or safer shelter. I couldn’t bring myself to do that, but I did use some of the funds to eat and work towards my own transportation during what has been an incredibly difficult time.

I lost my job within the first week of being forced out of my home. Since then, I’ve been trying to make ends meet by doing Uber Eats deliveries. But it’s nearly impossible to get much done when all my time and energy are spent trying to get my cats out of the shelter and back to safety.

The reason I’m homeless is this and only this. my brother physically attacked me and my cats. I defended myself and my animals. The judge, clearly exhausted by the ongoing family disputes, didn’t even review the video evidence I provided that proves my side. Instead, he issued mutual stay-away orders and just like that, made both of us homeless.

Even while homeless, I kept my cats with me. Eventually, they were found and taken to the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter. I now have until Friday, May 23 to get them out, or they’ll be surrendered for adoption—or worse, euthanized.

I’ve made the choice to stay homeless because I cannot sleep comfortably while my cats are alone in cages. They are my family, and I will not abandon them.

I was also in the middle of getting my driver’s license and a car—something I’ve already invested heavily in. But just as I was getting closer to having reliable transportation, I received the notice that I had five days to save my cats.

Now, everything has to change. Through a website someone has shown me, I’ve found a lot of people that can drive my cats and I to our home waiting for us in northern Florida. This may be my only chance to reunite with my cats and start over somewhere safer and more stable.

I know I have the ability to do this and much much more

You can’t find 25 to 32 cats and kittens, all in perfect health, unless someone has been loving and caring for them every single day. That someone is me and I will keep fighting for them

Hi, my name is Tommy. I’ve lived in New York my whole life, and I have 30 healthy and beautiful cats and kittens that I’ve raised and cared for myself. They’ve become my entire world. But the truth is, we’re stuck in a dangerous, abusive situation—and I’m trying everything I can to get us out.

For a long time now, I’ve been living with constant abuse from my family—mental, emotional, and physical. I’ve tried to get help. I have orders of protection, but they get broken regularly, and nothing is ever done. The police are called to my house at least 20 times a year. More than once, they’ve left the front door wide open while ordering me not to move, and my cats have gotten out, some returning pregnant, adding even more pressure and heartbreak to an already impossible situation.

The constant stress, anxiety, and depression from living in this environment have made it incredibly difficult for me to hold down a job. I struggle daily just to maintain any sort of mental or emotional stability, and that affects my ability to work. But despite the odds, I’ve done everything I can to take care of my cats. I found ways to make enough money to buy food, litter, and toys for them, even without a steady job. This past winter, for example, I did DoorDash deliveries on my bike, in 20-degree weather, during snowstorms and rainstorms. I pushed through it, no matter how bad the weather or how I physically felt, because my cats needed me. I did long trips for small pay, and although the work was hard, there were kind people who noticed what I was doing and tipped me extra. Those tips helped me more than they knew, but I didn’t use any of that money for myself. It went entirely to the care of my animals.

I’ve been trying to leave for a long time, but I can’t get out. Every time I try to get ahead, something happens. My family steals my money. They break my things. I’ve tried starting small businesses just to earn a living, and they’ve destroyed or thrown out my supplies. I haven’t had a bedroom since I was about 7 years old. My parents' cat, Misty, who was there when I was born, loved my bed. I was just a child, and I didn’t fully understand what was happening, but when Misty got sick and developed external tumors, I gave her my bed. Since then, I’ve never had my own bed, and truthfully, I’ve never really had a room of my own. I’m 28 years old now, and it’s been so long without a safe place to call my own.

Through all of this, I’ve poured everything into giving my cats the best life I possibly can. They’re not strays, they're mine, and they’ve been raised with love and care despite everything going on around us. They’re healthy, happy, and bonded to me.

Recently, I was given the chance to rent a small place on 10 acres of land in Florida. It’s the first real opportunity I’ve had to start fresh in a long time. A place where the cats could have space to run and live peacefully, away from all this chaos. A place where I could finally begin to rebuild my life in safety.

I’m asking for help to get us there. Your donation would go toward:

Transportation for me and the cats

Carriers, supplies, food, and gas

Emergency vet care and basic moving needs

This isn’t just a move. it’s a way out. A real chance at safety, peace, and stability, for me, and for 30 animals who’ve only ever known life in a stressful, unstable home. Although this is true, they also would never leave. They always come back to me and our cat family. If you can help by donating or sharing this campaign, it would truly mean the world.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

— Tommy and the Cat Gang