I moved to the desert to attend graduate school and immediately saw a huge problem, and it was not my lack of enthusiasm in writing my thesis. The feral cat population was and still is completely out of control! I started by feeding the cats and creating shelters for them. I live in a very rural community and was unable to find any resources to help me. Being a graduate student means I have graduate student money and time, which means I have pretty much zero of both of those. I eventually found a local organization that has been able to help me with spay and neutering of these cats. I also work very hard at socializing the ferals in the hopes of finding permanent homes for them. As of today I have been able to spay/neuter, socialize, and find homes for 11 of these ferals! I have so much more work ahead of me though.

I love making things, and I have been in desperate need of a creative outlet. I decided to switch my shop from a vintage seller to my own creations with all the proceeds going towards the feral community. I am now able to combine two things that I am very passionate about and honestly, I need help! Keeping cats safe and healthy is very expensive and if this can help in that department, fantastic!

I sell all types of things in my shop, from clothes and jewelry to mix tapes and zines, and obviously cat toys. I am inspired by everything around me, so I never know what my next project will be.

Final note, if you see stray or feral cats in your community please do not ignore them and think that it's not something you should worry about or that there is nothing you can do. It absolutely is something you should worry about and there is so much you can do!
- Contact your local humane animal organization.
- Learn how to TNR (trap neuter release). This saves so many cats' lives!
- Donate to your local animal shelters
- Volunteer at your local animal shelter.
- Create your own animal organization if one does not exist in your community.
- Foster and adopt the cats that are socialized.
- Create safe environments for the cats while you figure out a plan.

If you have any questions about any of these things do not hesitate to contact me!

Take care,
Leah & The Meow Meows