Mercer Island Eastside Orphans & Waifs (aka MEOW Cat Rescue)

Results: Since our beginning in 1997, we have rescued and placed more than 21,000 pets into loving homes. Our average shelter population ranges from 60 - 90 cats and kittens, depending on time of year. In addition, at any time our foster homes are caring for 100 - 200 kittens, seniors and special needs cats, some of them as long term care or hospice residents in our Ninth Life Division foster homes.

Programs: MEOW places approximately 1000 animals into permanent homes each year. Adoption fees help to defray the cost of care for the animals, but donations from interested individuals, organizations and businesses provide most of our financial support. Our application process ensures that every adopted animal is placed in an environment where there is appropriate space, human contact, and a commitment to safeguard and care for the animal for its entire lifetime. Our standards are high. The welfare of the animals is paramount in the placement process. Cats and kittens come from various sources and situations: orphans found under a deck, a stray or abandoned cat crying at the door, someone has developed allergies or is moving to a place where the cats are not welcome. Some come from the rescue community, finding tame cats and kittens feeding with feral colonies. Newborn or senior, healthy, ill or injured, all are welcome at MEOW . Incoming cats and kittens are examined for general health, illness, injury, parasites and tested for feline viral diseases and provided appropriate medical care. Daily care of cats and kittens is done both in the shelter and in the foster homes of volunteers, sometimes involving bottle-feeding orphans, often requiring intensive medical care of ill animals. MEOW provides a safe haven and socialization as well as proper nutrition and a clean environment while the animals await adoptive homes. Our volunteers speak with the public, interview prospective adopters, and provide education concerning the care of pets on such subjects as spaying/neutering, introducing a new pet into the family, addressing behavioral issues, proper daily care and well-cat/kitten care. Each year MEOW is faced with the impossible and each and every day we recommit ourselves to something we truly believe in, the motto we adopted at our inception,"all nine lives are precious".