NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville cat rescue that specializes in caring for at-risk, special needs, and senior cats may be forced to close its doors by the end of summer due to financial struggles.
Catio Cat Lounge, located near the Grand Ole Opry, provides a space where over 70 adoptable cats can freely play while visitors stop by to interact with them. "It gives them more ability and freedom to do whatever they want within reason," said Kaitlin Cashion, who works with the rescue.
"Because we take a lot of cats that most shelters may not take, a lot of our costs come from medical bills that we have, especially with owner surrenders," said Cashion. These expenses include treatments like insulin, dental work, and cancer care for their feline residents.
"Sometimes with older cats or cats with special needs, the cost does go up exponentially," said Cashion.
The rescue is committed to providing comprehensive care for each animal in their charge. "We want to try everything they can before they make the difficult call to humanely euthanize," said Cashion.
Despite their dedication, a combination of overcrowding and financial setbacks has put the rescue's future in jeopardy.
"We are kind of struggling financially because we have had a couple of cases where their care is the most important thing. Yeah, we struggle financially, but really our livelihood is about the cats," said Cashion.
The rescue has rehomed over 6,000 cats since 2019, focusing on at-risk felines that might otherwise struggle to find homes.
The rescue is hoping for community support at their upcoming fundraiser on June 7.
"We will be taking kittens and quote-on-quote racing them. How effective will that be? Questionable, but it's just a little fun thing to get people to come out and see us," said Cashion.
The "Kitty Derby" event will be held at the Catio Cat Lounge from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on June 7. The fundraiser aims to attract visitors and raise much-needed funds to keep the rescue operational beyond the summer months.
Want to help save this Nashville cat rescue? Consider volunteering your time or visiting the Go-Fund-Me. Local veterinarians interested in providing services for these at-risk cats can contact me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com. The rescue's future—and the lives of these cats—may depend on community action.
This story was reported by Kim Rafferty and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Kim and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
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