Lucky Cats of Lake Norman
Our
Story
Lake Norman Lucky Cat Program
The Lake Norman Lucky Cat Program began in 1998 by helping concerned citizens humanely and effectively reduce feral cat populations in our area through TNR. Since unaltered owned and stray cats also contribute to the over-population in our shelters, in 2004 our services expanded to include facilitating low-cost spay/neuter services for strays and pets as well.
Partnerships
Looking back over the past twenty years since founding the Lake Norman Lucky Cat Program, our Lake Norman/Charlotte community has made huge strides in recognizing TNR as the best methodology to humanely manage community cats. Today, we continue to help local citizens manage community cats with more resources than ever. Through partnerships with low-cost clinics, educating the public, providing traps, supplies, and financial support to those in need; our Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program is truly making a difference in our region’s community cats.
OUTREACH: Lucky Cats of Kinston
Unfortunately, many areas in our state have not had similar progress and continue to operate much like our region did 20 years ago with the outdated Trap/Kill approach to community cats. Last summer, we were notified about a huge problem in Kinston, NC. After researching what options they had, we found a severe deficit of services in this area, and offered our assistance to facilitate a TNR program in Lenoir County as an outreach program. As their animal control and shelter were overwhelmed with cat overpopulation, local law enforcement welcomed our assistance. Through networking and advocating, a local director was found, and since August of 2018, over 300 cats have been through TNR in Kinston, now known as the “Lucky Cats of Kinston Project.” Unfortunately, the cost per cat averages $60.00 or more for services as there are no low-cost clinics, and the numbers of unowned cats and owned cats in homes with financial need are staggering!
Our goal is to continue to facilitate TNR in our local area and also help other NC communities create their own “Lucky Cat” programs too. Many other communities have heard of our success in Kinston, and desperately need our help. We are so grateful for continued support of our program, as funds remain critical to continue our work. Through our donors and volunteers, we are vaccinating, spay/neutering, providing medical assistance, housing, and feeding our communities’ feline friends – and providing them with a much better life.
We would love to see more programs like Lucky Cats of Kinston in other communities around the country. All we need are willing volunteers to help get the programs started. Contact Lucky Cats today to see how you can make a difference in the lives of community cats!
Educations: Lucky Cat Club
In 2019 we created a new educational program for middle school students to explain the overpopulation problem and the importance of spay/neuter to help lessen the number of cats and kittens in our shelters. After students at Pioneer Springs Community School heard the presentation, they formed the “Lucky Cat Club” and are raising funds to TNR (trap-neuter-return) a feral colony at the apartment complex where one of the students lives. The students made organic catnip cat toys to sell at a recent event to raise funds for their initiative. We believe today’s youth are key to helping to change the future of overpopulation issues, and we welcome schools and groups to contact us to form their own “Lucky Cat Clubs.”