Friends of Community Cat Companions

Community Cat Companions and the Community Cat groups of Lake County and Ashtabula Counties are fortunate to have many friends. Some of these friends are partner organizations, others are volunteers, supporters, and sometimes a special individual that doesn’t even realize how much they have helped us. Included here are individuals who have made a contribution or are contributing to our organization in a unique way. We have special “Funds” to assist with the medical needs of our cats and kittens in our adoption program, as well as programs to assist with the cost of TNR. We have added an in memoriam section that recognizes the contributions of “Friends” that have passed. We are very grateful for the support that we receive from all of our friends!

Established in 2022, the Eleanor Albanese Kitty Commando Award honors individuals for their dedication and for exemplifying our values. We value cats and acknowledge their place in our community. We value the people and communities that advocate in the best interest of cats.

Eleanor is the original Kitty Commando. There is little that she wouldn’t do to help a cat. In her legendary trapping career, she has helped thousands of cats, assisted countless people, and put who knows how many miles on her cars! Eleanor began feeding cats in 2008 and shortly thereafter started her first trapping project at the American Legion Hall in Willowick. She became a volunteer for Western Reserve Humane Society and the Cleveland APL. She trapped anywhere they sent her. Eleanor is a founding member of both Willowick and Eastlake Community Cats. She spent six years trapping and fostering for us, deciding that 2021 would be the year to retire her traps. She recently took over a feral cat colony in Eastlake and continues to assist Kate Grigsby in her effort to make feral cat shelters. She is still helping cats; she just can’t help herself!

Catherine Messina exhibits all the characteristics of a true Kitty Commando. She always puts the needs of the cats first. Catherine approached us in 2017 when the apartment complex where she resides threatened eviction for residents that were feeding cats. At the time, there were several people feeding, the cats were everywhere, and reproducing. In a coordinated effort, management allowed us to start a TNR project with Catherine as the designated feeder. Funds were raised by residents, traps were set and so it began…One year later all of the cats were neutered and the colony was stabilized, NO kittens! Catherine oversees her colony like any Italian mother would. You can find her any day sitting on her tree stump chair imploring her charges to eat. You can almost imagine her yelling “Mangia!”

The Micah Memorial Fund was established in 2017 by Animal Medical Center of Euclid, with Lynne, in memory of her cat Micah. This fund is renewed annually and is intended to benefit cats or kittens that need extraordinary care that either saves or improves the quality of life and improves the likelihood of adoption.  

Donations can be made to Animal Medical Center of Euclid  

Memo: Micah Memorial Fund 

24100 Lakeshore Blvd. 

Euclid, OH 44123  

The Foster Emergency Fund was established by one of our dedicated volunteers to cover the cost of “extraordinary” medical expenses relating to the cats and kittens in our foster program. Extraordinary expenses include but are not limited to X-rays, bloodwork, surgeries, specialty veterinary visits or medications and/or euthanasia.  

Rocky was one of a litter of six kittens born to a very young mother. He was much smaller than his littermates and required supplemental feedings in order to survive. Rocky was treated for an upper respiratory infection but developed what was believed to be pneumonia. After many tests and visits to a specialty vet, it was discovered that Rocky suffers from a condition that is so rare that the clinic has never seen a case in cats. One of Rocky’s lungs is undeveloped. His heart is slightly enlarged and out of position as a result. He is on medication and monitored closely. His long-term prognosis is unknown but he is doing very well today. He remains with his foster mom and celebrated his first birthday in February. His care has been extremely expensive and without the fund would have proved difficult, if not impossible.