Happy 2025, Everyone! We hope this new year is starting off well for all of you. Erica and I (Liz) wanted to take a few moments to THANK YOU for your support and share with you everything that Cats in Action accomplished in 2024.
Our second full year in existence was one of great momentum. Through the generosity of of our donors and the time and dedication of our volunteers and fosters, Cats in Action was able to help 901 cats, an increase of 29.6% over 2023!
Cats in Action became a Homeward Bound Partner to Chicago Animal Care & Control, to continue the our mission of saving feral and under-socialized cats. We transferred 358 cats out of CACC in partnering with Friends of Chicago Animal Care & Control (FCACC) since 2018 and will continue this life-saving work as a direct partner.
We joined the Chicagoland Humane Coalition of 20+ shelters and rescue groups, dedicated to building upon common ground, focusing on pressing local issues, and supporting our communities for the betterment of animals and their people and received a $1500 grant from the coalition at the end of the year.
Cats in Action expanded our Board of Directors, was featured on WBEZ’s Curious City, The city that purrs: Getting to know Chicago’s feral cats, worked to shut down a hoarding situation posing as an animal shelter, hosted several fun events, talked with numerous scouting and neighborhood groups about community cats and ultimately helped hundreds of cats and the people who care for them.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture licenses all shelters and foster-based rescue groups and requires annual reporting on animal Intakes and Outcomes. Although they do not track cats returned outside through TNR and cats for which services are provided and returned to owner, Cats in Action tracks every cat we help. To give you a better idea how we’re spending our time and your dollars, and in the spirit of full transparency, we’d like to share these numbers with you.
Intakes/Outcomes and TNR
As we mentioned, Cats in Action helped a total of 901 cats in 2024. There were 10 cats we took in during 2023 with an outcome in 2024 (891 + 10 = 901). The vast majority of cats we helped were from TNR projects (779). Of these, 584 were returned to colony, 186 cats were rescued for adoption and 3 pregnant queens gave birth in traps, giving us 9 kittens born in care.
We were not able to keep every friendly cat we trapped, as there are just too many. Cats in Action also has many caretakers who dote on their community cats, take great care of them and want them back. By focusing on young kittens that socialize quickly, sick/injured cats and known abandoned pet cats, we were are able to direct our efforts to cats in the greatest need. Cats in Action supported 6 other animal welfare organizations by taking in 52 feral and under-socialized cats. We supported many individuals by taking in pet (30) and feral (18) cats. Cats in Action also assists caretakers with sick/injured community cats that have already been spayed/neutered and require medical attention (12).
| Intake Type | No. |
| Found Stray (from TNR Projects) | 186 |
| Transfer In | 52 |
| Owner Relinquished Pet | 30 |
| Owner Relinquished Feral/Under-socialized | 18 |
| Born in Care | 9 |
| Total Intakes | 295 |
| TNR Project | 584 |
| Medical Services (Already Spayed/Neutered) | 12 |
| Grand Total | 891 |
Although Cats in Action adopted out 40 cats directly, we much prefer to transfer out friendly cats to other animal welfare organizations who have established brick-and-mortar shelters and foster programs. By transferring out 174 cats (up 226% from 77 cats last year), we were able to get them on their way more quickly and also better focus our efforts on what we do best – trap cats. Cats in Action placed a total of 58 feral and under-socialized cats (36 in barns and 22 as working cats) with caretakers who agree to feed them twice a day, provide shelter and medical care as needed and in return receive expert rodent control. We reunited 4 lost pet cats with their owners and assisted several community cats through their end-of-life journey. Our live outcome rate for 2024 was 94.6%.
| Outcome Type | No. |
| Transfer Out | 174 |
| Home Adoption | 40 |
| Barn Placement | 36 |
| Urban/Suburban Working Cat Placement | 22 |
| Returned to Owner | 4 |
| Returned to Field (from CACC) | 1 |
| Euthanized | 9 |
| Died in Care | 7 |
| Total Outcomes | 293 |
| Total Live Outcomes | 277 (94.5%) |
| Returned to Colony | 573 |
| Medical Services (ABN/ABS)* | 12 |
| Grand Total | 878 |
For the 293 cats who received an outcome in 2024, their average length of stay in our care was 30 days. TNRs and medical services are not counted in this calculation.
Cats in Action hopes to keep this amazing momentum going and improve on our numbers for 2025. With your help, we can help 1000 cats in 2025!
