Charlotte Conley and Astoria Cat Rescue - Turning tough starts into happy endings.
The welcoming environs of Astoria, Queens have long been known as a haven for foodies as well as a diverse, relatively quiet and safe, family-friendly place in which to live.
But, what you might not realize is that thousands upon thousands of animal lovers enjoy the Astoria lifestyle, too. Just by casually strolling down any street you will encounter pet moms and dads walking their dog or holding their cat in a carrier on the way to the Vet or to shop for their kitty at Tom's Pet Supplies or The Regal Beagle. And, let's not overlook the fact that people-watching is not confined solely to humankind. Astoria's cats just LOVE watching us humans do our thing, as we walk by, from the comfort of their parent's apartment windows!
Unfortunately, there is also a sad and tragic underside to the story of Astoria's feline population. One that you probably are not aware of. It has, over the past few years, become all too common for a passerby to catch sight of stray, homeless cats going in or out of an alleyway or standing next to a restaurant or apartment building's garbage cans, scrounging around for any scrap of food that they can find. Some of these hungry felines are seniors, barely able any longer to fend for themselves while others are small kittens, perhaps born under a parked car a few weeks before, who are desperately fighting for a chance to live a full and healthy life. These unfortunate sights tug at your heartstrings. Our neighborhood is a proud and caring one, where people actually DO look out for each other. But, who looks out for these cats, where every day is a challenge simply to find food and water, not to mention shelter from the rain, searing heat, sleet and bitter cold?
Well, the good news is that there ARE people out there who are willing to give up what little free time they have to volunteer at local organizations such as ASTORIA CAT RESCUE. If being kind to felines is your thing ( and we fervently hope it is ) then you HAVE to get to know founder CHARLOTTE CONLEY and her hard-working staff at Astoria Cat Rescue. Each and every night, no matter what the weather may be like, Charlotte and her volunteers fan out across Astoria with carts filled with food and water, seeking to bring some measure of comfort to hungry and desperate street cats. On average, the Astoria Cat Rescue team cares for well over 150 felines in 17 cat colonies. But, the fact is that this is only the tip of the iceberg. The number of homeless cats in NYC can be measured in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions. And it grows exponentially on a daily basis.
Charlotte is continuing the work of her late mother Joyce and her close friend Lee, who both passed away in 2023. In 2008, Joyce and Lee began going out at night ( together with Charlotte ) with the mission to find and feed stray cats. After a short time, word got around Astoria and the caring trio were joined by a small but hardy group of volunteers. Good things began to happen and the plight of famished and sick feral and abandoned cats got the attention it long deserved.
When 2014 rolled around, the Astoria Cat Rescue organization was officially founded as a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) non-profit. Charlotte has worked tirelessly to honor her mom and Lee's love of cats. Lee still went out with volunteers even at the age of ninety-five, right before her sad demise! Now, that's love and dedication. Charlotte, though, is more than up to the task of following in Joyce and Lee's footsteps.
Charlotte's home base is a house that she is renting here in Astoria. But, it is so much more than merely a place to live. In fact, kicking back and relaxing is a luxury that's quite unknown to Ms. Conley, whose days rarely end before 1 AM. Frequently, she has to get by on maybe three or four hours of sleep. A portion of her house is dedicated to almost forty cats and kittens who live there awaiting fostering or adoption. The cats are carefully groomed and socialized, interacting with Charlotte and specially selected volunteers. It's a chore to keep everything spotless in the house with all of those felines, but, somehow, Charlotte manages. She is a neat freak if ever there was one, which is a VERY good thing. Her kitchen is where the cans of Friskies are opened and sorted out for that night's feedings.
During the past twelve months, Charlotte has been fighting to keep Astoria Cat Rescue going through severe financial hardships, the threat of eviction from her home base by the landlord and, to top things off, she was also recovering from a devastating personal illness. This is why ACR needs your support. Dedicated to easing the plight of Astoria's homeless cats, Charlotte will not let anything stop her.
Donations of money are always appreciated ( and they are tax-deductible ). However, just as vital are donations of wet and dry cat food, litter, cat beds, feline toys and your TIME. Charlotte cannot do this alone and that's where YOU come in. Volunteers are needed desperately. ACR needs team members to prepare the food and water at the home base that will be distributed, feeders who will actually go around the neighborhood and nourish the strays, cat socializers and people who have a car and can provide transportation for kittens and adult felines who need emergency medical care or have to get their shots before they can be fostered or adopted. In addition to all of the above, ACR builds small shelters, whenever they can, which provide the strays with some measure of protection from the elements. Trapping and neutering feral cats is also a vital part of ACR's mission. Having these cats neutered goes a LONG way toward keeping the population of homeless felines down. And who doesn't want that?
One of Charlotte's greatest joys is finding a loving, forever home for friendly homeless cats. Until Charlotte and her volunteers showed up to care for them, the vast majority of these felines had never known human affection. They want to get to know YOU. And, you will LOVE getting up close and personal with them! All of the cats that ACR has rescued and rehabilitated have been spayed/neutered and are up to date with their vaccinations.
You can go on ACR's website to see images of the felines who are available for adoption or fostering and apply online. It will be well worth your time. The joy that inviting a loving cat into your life will bring is immeasurable. Talk about positive energy and unconditional love. Felines make the BEST kind of roommate! Your apartment will get a brand-new vibe, almost instantaneously.
Please keep in mind that all of Charlotte's current team also hold full or part-time jobs. So, be advised that Charlotte will work with you to give you as many hours as you want as a volunteer; hours that fit in with YOUR schedule. Every hour that you can give these beautiful felines is valuable. And, you will receive expert training.
Recently, Aplez.com had the pleasure of sitting down with Charlotte at the NYC BAGEL & COFFEE HOUSE on Broadway near Crescent Street, to learn more about Astoria Cat Rescue. The information that she gave this reporter could have filled, at least, two articles. The passion that ACR's co-founder feels for felines is evident; it comes through in her voice and when one looks into her eyes. During the course of our conversation, Charlotte's phone was alive with activity, as she briefly took calls from team members and exchanged texts on everything from planning that evening's feeding route to arranging for foster care for a rescued kitten to setting up a vet visit for vaccinations. Charlotte thrives on this, tiring as it may be, because these endless calls and texts mean that things are getting done.
During our interview, Charlotte asked if she could give a shout-out to two very caring veterinary services who have, over the years, done more than their fair share to assist cats in need. They are DR. PET MD located at 25-63 Steinway Street and the ASTORIA ANIMAL SOCIETY at 30-89 38th Street. This writer learned that not every Vet accepts strays or feral felines as patients so kudos to the aforementioned veterinarians and their staff.
ASTORIA CAT RESCUE - Helping cats to not only survive but thrive, with a whole lot of love, in between.
I am quite certain that, right about now, you are thinking, " How can I get in touch with Charlotte and adopt/foster a kitty or help out ?" We are SO glad that you asked. Here is Astoria Cat Rescue's CONTACT INFORMATION :
Email:
Website: www.astoriacatrescue.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astoriacatrescue
Instagram: www.instagram.com/astoriacatrescue
Tik Tok: www.tiktok.com/@astoriacatrescue
Chewy Wishlist: www.chewy.com/g/astoria-cat-rescueb127747975#wish-list
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