The Cats of Partners Place Rescue Need Your Help!

Hi, my name is Becca and in March of 2022 a neighbor of mine moved out of their rented house and abandoned their 12 cats. I drove by and saw these 12 innocent babies sitting on the side porch of the house, waiting for their next meal. It wasn’t coming. :( Their people left them to fend for themselves. I could not sit by and watch this happen. I started feeding them that night.

My husband, Mitch, and I immediately put together a temporary safe and enclosed shelter in one of my horse stalls for them. I trapped them all and moved them into the shelter. Of course, the females were pregnant so we have had a lot of kittens.

When I called around to my local shelters for help, they all told me they wouldn’t take them because so many of them are black (50%) and “black cats are the hardest to adopt out”. Additionally, the original adults were not fully tame and needed time to trust a human again, but I was not willing to give up on them.

One example is Lema. She is a short haired black female. She was one of the pregnant females at the time of her capture. One of her babies was really struggling after birth. It was crying and not nursing, so I was sitting on the floor of the horse stall trying to feed it from a bottle. Lema bit me hard on the back of my arm because she thought I was hurting her precious baby. Thankfully I was able to move the baby over to Maple, one of the other moms, to nurse and she thrived. Her name is Licorice (one of the sweetest in the bunch). I couldn’t even get near Lema for months, but with enough love and patience, she has come to love her scritches and kisses.

Another is Domino, who is a black and white short hair male. He was an adult when we captured him. Anytime I would walk into the enclosure he literally climbed the walls and hung out in the open rafters of the horse stall until I would leave. I talked to him every time I was in the enclosure, and with enough time and patience on both our parts he now greets me at the gate every time I go in. He stretches his front legs up to my waist, all while purring, to make sure he gets his loves before anyone else!

The initial shelter has changed immensely since inception. From hay bales and a pick-up bed topper to an insulated room with a floor, a window, a human door and a cat size door (see photos below). Being in Western Colorado, we quickly realized that the cats would need air conditioning as summer was approaching so we put a window air conditioner in one wall of the room. Then winter was on the way, so we installed a mini-split AC/Heat system.

Over the course of the year, we have changed and added things as needed. We also purchased a shed and finished it on the inside (see photos below) including heating and air conditioning to help with the overcrowding of the first enclosure.

All of the kitties are fixed now but we have a total of 40 cats out of those original 12. In 2022 alone, Mitch and I have spent thousands of dollars of our own money for these kitties as well as thousands of hours in caring for them and building needed shelters.

This entire experience has turned my life upside down. It has been a major struggle to keep up with all of the needs of so many kittens and cats. I was not prepared for the challenges that have arisen in the last year. Feeding and caring for so many, cost of food, litter, veterinary care and other essentials. Just trying to keep them clear of ear mites, due to their prior poor living situation, has been a challenge in itself.

There have been days that it seemed impossible to continue. Then Snookums climbs onto my shoulders, his face right in my ear, purring with his entire body, rubbing up against my hair, so happy to be safe and loved. He reminds me, along with all the others, that I will be able to continue. They are counting on me and I will not let them down.

With all of the kittens becoming adults, these two houses are still not big enough. We need to build a new building for them. A building that has separate rooms for medical isolation and new incoming cats, when necessary, laundry facilities and a kitchen. It will also have a large enclosed outside area for them to bask in the Colorado sun. It will be called the “Cat Chateau”. They are royalty after all, just ask ‘em. lol

We have reached the point that we realize that we need help from our community and beyond to make this project a reality. As we have exhausted our savings, taken out a loan for the shed and still have so much to do for these kitties. This building will become a cat sanctuary where these kitties will live out their lives, happy and healthy. None of these kitties will be adopted out. It comes down to the fact that so many cats need homes and if we give these cats a loving home and don’t put them into the “adoption pool”, then that many more cats can be saved.

I have started the non-profit (501c3) “Partners Place Rescue” for the housing and continued care of these kitties. 100% of funds raised will directly benefit these cats. We plan on doing most of the work to erect the building ourselves to save as much money as possible and will not be taking any sort of salary for the work we do. Every penny that is raised will go towards the new building. Here is a breakdown of the phases and estimated cost of each phase;

Phase 1- Plans & Permits=$4000

Phase 2- Excavation & Concrete Foundation=$30,000

Phase 3- Framing with doors and windows=$45,000

Phase 4- Roofing and Siding=$30,000

As you can see, we need more than our go fund me target amount of 100k in just the first 4 phases, if we can raise even more to complete the entire build, that would be spectacular.

I realize that this may seem like a lot of money for cats but please know that we have high hopes for this building in the future. Once this building is in place, we will of course move the cats into it, but we will also have room to rescue more cats that show up here (including the 4 new ones already in my hay barn). We also hope to help other local rescue organizations with fostering cats that are waiting to be adopted.

I am more than willing to continue to do the daily work. You wouldn't believe how much work that is! However, we can't do it financially without your help. No amount is too small. All contributions are tax deductible. I realize that I can't fix the entire overpopulation issue, but with your help we can change and affect the lives of as many fur babies as possible.

Since the kitties can’t type, I’m asking you to give what you can to ensure a safe, loving, joyful future for these beautiful creatures, secure in the knowledge that we’re working each day to improve their lives, and end suffering in the kitty world. Watch Facebook or Go fund me for updates on their (and our) progress. Please help us build Digs for Domino!!! Thank you for your support!

Please SHARE on social media #PartnersPlaceRescue

Please EMAIL this page (https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-cats-of-partners-place-rescue-need-your-help) - to your family + friends.

Check out and follow Partners Place Rescue Facebook page (you can donate here also).

If you would prefer to donate supplies, we do have a gift registry on Amazon. Search "Partners Place Rescue" in gifting & registry to access it.

To make off-line donations, please send to:

Partners Place Rescue

PO Box 673

Clifton, CO 81520

***Please include your return address and I will send you a receipt

A few photos of the enclosure progression;

A few photos of the shed that we finished;