Subject: Because We Said Yes

Dear Whis-Purr Friend,

We want to thank you for your ongoing support through the years.

What once was a rescue focused primarily on rescuing stray cats and kittens from the community and shelters and bringing them up for adoption has evolved into something more.

This year, we made choices that changed everything.

When a small rescue called us about a kitten with a shattered leg, we said yes. When a community member found a mama cat struggling to feed her litter, we said yes. When older, less social adults needed a place to be, we said yes. When individuals or other rescues needed help with emergency medical expenses, we said yes.

We've always rescued the cats no one else would take — community cats, mamas with babies, abandoned adults needing a safe place until they find their forever homes. At any given time in our adoption program, Whis-Purr is home to about 40 cats and kittens waiting for adoption, each needing food, medical care, and love.

Whis-Purr is blessed to have a brick-and-mortar rescue. While we love rescuing mamas and babies, socializing them and bringing them up for adoption, our heart truly goes out to the adult strays — the abandoned cats in neighborhoods that have been dumped, or cats, that for whatever reason can no longer stay in their homes.

Our 21 sanctuary cats who call Whis-Purr their home are never far from our thoughts as we seek out the best way to care for them. Some have developed complex needs, such as:

  Milo -
  Insulin twice daily for diabetes and a special diet

 

  Mango -
  Medications and chemo for lymphoma

 

 

  Moxie –
  Rotten and impacted teeth requiring costly dental work, challenging to transport due to feral nature  but successful
 

 

 

  Reyna -
  17 years old (semi-feral), regular hospital visits due to kidney disease  

  

 

  Rio -
  Transport challenge! Unexplained weight loss. Suspect hyperthyroid or dental disease

 

Some have been with us for 8+ years. As they age, ALL of our sanctuary cats' medical needs become more complex and costly. We are committed to providing the best life we can for these precious ones. They are a very important part of our Whis-Purr family.

In 2025, we became something more — a lifeline for other rescues and our community by providing support and funding to help them access emergency medical care at local vet hospitals. Combine that with our spay/neuter van that helps rescues get their cats ready for adoption at low cost without delay, we're helping save even more lives from euthanasia.

Like Adam, who came to our rescue partner barely clinging to life. He was lethargic, sleeping constantly, barely eating. After three vet visits and a $1,981 estimate for tests and treatment, we discovered severe dental issues, stomatitis, and calicivirus. We guided our partner through which tests were essential and covered half the costs. It took months of care, tooth extractions, and finding the right food, but thanks to our amazing rescue partner as well, Adam transformed from a cat who could barely lift his head into a playful, affectionate boy who now worries about which side of the bed to sleep on.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet Lillee (a boy), whose family thought they'd lost him forever. When this seven-year-old cat — a calming presence for his special-needs teen owner — was attacked by a wild animal in the mountains, his tail was severely injured near the spine. His owner, Lorann, was unemployed and recovering from her own injury. When someone referred her to Whis-Purr, she reached out not knowing what else to do. We responded immediately. We connected her with an emergency vet and arranged for a second opinion from the former director of medical services at SPCA. Both confirmed: Lillee needed surgery right away or he wouldn't survive. We worked directly with the vet to cover the costs and guided the family through recovery. The morning after surgery, Lillee was already up and moving. Today, he's back to being the lively, loving companion this family depends on.

 

   

 

 

 

Lillee (after surgery)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The impact of our choices to say yes has been extraordinary. But here's the reality: between caring for our sanctuary cats and cats in our adoption program, funding emergency medical care for the community, and treating our aging residents with increasingly complex needs, we've exhausted our funds faster than ever before. We need your help to finish this year strong and start 2026 ready to keep our promises — to every cat. Your gift today ensures we can continue providing medical care for our sanctuary cats who've been here since the beginning, food and care for the dozens waiting for adoption, and support when the next urgent call comes. Will you help us close this gap? DONATE TODAY! With gratitude, Lucy for the Team Whis-Purr Rescue