‘Caturday’ fundraiser at Canalside Tattoo raises $29K

Money goes to Cat by Cat Inc. that works with feral cat problem in Orleans County

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Caturday volunteers Shannon Blount, Ellen Blanc and Kelsey Dreisbach are shown at the Caturday fundraiser on Sunday where 184 baskets were up for raffle.

The event raised $29,000 for Cat by Cat Inc., which eclipsed the $24,000 from a year. Canalside has now hosted the fundraiser four years, raising $10,000 in 2022 and $18,000 in 2023.

Blount leads the local Cat by Cat Inc. that is trying to rein in the feral or community cat problem in Orleans County.

Cat by Cat seeks to humanely “TNVR” cats through targeted trapping. Cat by Cat focuses on a TNVR model – Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return.

The team in Orleans County cares for about 150 cats a year. The last four years the local Cat by Cat has tended to 600 to 700 cats and adopted out about 100 a year.

“It’s a quality of life issue not only for the cats but for the community as well,” Blount said. “Nobody wants 100 stray cats wandering around.”

There were 184 gift baskets up for raffle. There were so many, the basket raffle was moved from outside Canalside Tattoo to a tent for the raffle.

That is up from the 150 baskets a year ago. Blount said many local businesses and residents contributed baskets to help support the cause.

Feral or community cats are a big problem all over the county, Blount said.

“Until you get the cats neutered and vetted, the cycle just continues,” she said.

The Caturday fundraiser will help pay for veterinarian costs, cat food, litter and other supplies.

Once a week Blount and volunteers take cats to vets in Blasdell and Hamburg for spay and neutering services, which is done at a deep discount.

“We absolutely need more volunteers to help drive,” Blount said.

To inquire about volunteering, go to the Cat by Cat website.

Canalside had 13 tattoo artists doing tattoos on Sunday for $100 each. They would do about 125 tattoos.

Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo, works on a Buffalo Bills tattoo for Chris Barrett of Lockport. Barrett was at Canalside for the first time on Sunday and was impressed with the atmosphere of the place, and the push to raise money for a cause in the community.

Barrett believes the Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl for the first time in their history this season.

‘This is the year,” he said. “It’s gonna happen.”

Shawn Ramsey, who is engaged to Shannon Blount, praised the tattoo artists for volunteering their time on Sunday. Canalside has six tattoo artists on staff, and seven other visiting artists were part of the day, as well as piercers and Marked. by Janna doing eyebrow wax and shaping.

C.J. Cruickshank, one of the tattoo artists at Canalside, works on a tattoo for Olivia Miller, 21, during Caturday. Miller also got a tattoo a year ago on Caturday. That raccoon tattoo has prompted by smiles and fun conversation in the past year, Miller said.

On Sunday, her new tattoo was of a cat falling asleep while reading a book. Miller said the tattoo was a birthday present from her father.

“It’s fun getting a silly animal tattoo,” she said.

Miller also wanted to support Cat by Cat which has helped her family with two cats.