Meet Kitt Crusaders
One of our charity partners this year is Kitt Crusaders. a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue organization that rescues cats and kittens from the high-kill L.A. City shelters as well as the streets. They keep tabs on who is in the most danger, get them to the vet, match them up with fosters/adopters, and give them a second chance at a happy life.
We spoke with co-founder Tracie Peddy about their mission, and how CatConners can get involved.
Photos courtesy Kitt Crusaders
Join us for the biggest cat-centric, pop culture event in the world dedicated to all things feline!
CatCon 2024
August 3rd & 4th, Pasadena, CA
CATCON: Tell us about your role at Kitt Crusaders, and how you got involved
TRACIE PEDDY: I am Tracie Peddy and I am one of the original founding members of Kitt Crusaders. Kitt Crusaders was founded in 2010 by Mary Shaughnessy. Fellow rescuers Susan C. and Nelia S. were working separately in cat rescue and we decided to pool our efforts to save lives and build a relatively drama-free and all-inclusive presence in Los Angeles.
Why are fosters needed in the LA area?
Our rescue group is foster-based, so fosters are the lifeblood of the organization. In order to save lives from death row, they need a place to go! The role of the foster is to socialize, love, and build trust in these little creatures, on top of the basic needs of feeding, scooping, and providing a healthy environment. Kitten season, which is almost all year round now, but used to be primarily spring and summer, is the busiest craziest time of year for us, and all rescues. Fosters are especially important during this time so that we can continue to save lives and rescue from the high kill shelters and the streets.
What’s involved in becoming a foster household? What about kittens/bottle babies?
Becoming a foster is easy and fun and so very rewarding! If you have a dedicated space, be it a bathroom or a bedroom, you have room! Fosters don’t need to have a whole lot of space- just enough to keep clean and separate from other pets in the household. The mission is to cuddle, care for, socialize, build trust, and provide a safe, healthy place for the cat/s to thrive until they find their forever homes. In addition, neonatal Bottle fosters are vital! During this time of year, Kittens seem to fall from the sky, and they are not always fortunate enough to have a nursing mom available to them. Sometimes they are abandoned, or sometimes people don’t know better and pick up the babies while mom is out looking for food, and they are not able to thrive on their own. There are lots of online resources and videos, and we are happy to teach bottle feeding!
What are the needs of adult shelter cats?
Adult shelter cats are often scared, sick, angry, or depressed. Sometimes all of the above. Imagine being taken from the only home you’ve ever known and thrown into chaos. Shelter cats need a calm quiet place to decompress and lots of patience to help them build trust and become comfortable. The most important thing you can give them is time and a safe space.
How can CatConners get involved? If they’re not able to foster, what else can they do to help?
If people are interested in fostering, or adopting, they can visit our website at kittcrusaders.org to fill out the application and get some info. If people are not able to foster, but still interested in helping, we can always use Transporters to take Kitties from the shelter to their foster, or to a spay neuter appointment, or to and from a vet visit! People can also assist by sharing our posts on social media, and getting the word out there! But truly, one of the most important things people can do, is become advocates for spay and neuter. Spay and neuter saves lives!
Join us for the biggest cat-centric, pop culture event in the world dedicated to all things feline!
CatCon 2024
August 3rd & 4th, Pasadena, CA