$10,000 raised at Canalside Tattoo to care for community cats in Medina

Photo by Tom Rivers: Cat by Cat Inc. local leaders are shown at a basket raffle outside Canalside Tattoo in Medina on Saturday. Pictured from left include Ellen Blanc, Shannon Blount and Blount’s mother Janice Strianese.

MEDINA – The organization Cat by Cat Inc. raised $10,000 on Saturday with a fundraiser at Canalside Tattoo.

There were about 80 baskets and gift certificates donated and up for raffle. Canalside Tattoo artists also donated their expertise for 60 tattoos or body piercings at a $100 suggested donation.

Cat by Cat will use the money for medications, vaccinations, food and cat litter, and other supplies.

Ellen Blanc, Shannon Blount and Blount’s mother Janice Strianese head up the local effort. They work with residents to trap feral or community cats and have them spayed or neutered. The cats are also vaccinated and many get flea medications.

Blount said she is thankful for the donations by local businesses, residents and the tattoo artists for the benefit on Saturday.

Provided photos: These are some of the cat-themed tattoos done by canalside on Saturday as part of the fundraiser.

Cat by Cat Inc. now has more resources to help contain the number of community cats.

“The stray cat population is a huge issue not only in this county but everywhere,” said Shannon Blount. “It can quickly get out of control.”

Cat by Cat focuses on a TNVR model – Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return. Cat by Cat was able to TNVR about 50 cats on Glenwood Avenue since last October, and is currently focused on Prospect Avenue and has trapped, neutered, vaccinated and returned seven cats with more to do.

Blount said Cat by Cat works with residents in an area to trap the cats and return them to the area. If they are spayed and neutered they won’t reproduce.

Cat by Cat also works to have foster families to take in some of the cats over 2 pounds. Blount said the group’s focus is on improving the lives for the outdoor cats in the community.

Photo by Varuka Blue Photography: Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, creates a cat tattoo for a customer. Canalside artists did 60 tattoos or body piercings with proceeds donated to Cat by Cat.

She said there are more stray cats since the eviction moratorium has been lifted. For about two years landlords couldn’t evict tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of those residents, who were largely homebound in the early days of the pandemic, brought cats into their homes.

But once the residents were evicted, they couldn’t take cats in their new apartments. Blount said many residents have just left the cats outside and moved on, adding to the community cat problem.

“We have a massive amount of strays,” she said.

Blount is appreciative of the community for their donations to help confront the problem.

“People love animals and they don’t want to see them suffer,” she said.

For more information on Cat by Cat Inc., click here.