Air Rescuing 99 Cats and Dog in Morocco

I’ve been living for the past 5 years a selfless life with no day off, non-stop going above and beyond my brain capabilities to provide everything for my cat rescues when putting all my dreams and aspirations aside, out of mercy and compassion towards these little beautiful creatures.

I currently have 79 cats & kittens + a dog (all rescues) spread out across 3 apartments and 3 vets' offices. Mainly, in my parents' 2-bedroom apartment (my room is for 9 cats), 1 cat quarantined in the kitchen, I sleep in my parents' apartment living room. I'm renting 2 other apartments for the cats, otherwise I have nowhere to leave them.

Behind the scenes, the days are tough, I'm running like a hamster every month to get back to the same place again and again. I try my best to stay composed to be resourceful and remind myself that tomorrow will be Great.

I have no stable business. I keep jumping from one side gig to the next to cover the cats expenses on a monthly basis and get left with barely nothing in my bank account.

After all these years, I recently I ran into creativity fatigue, no days off or travel for years, constant pressure to cover relatively heavy bills and an empty bank account with no savings after all the crazy amount of work I put in…

I literally keep working until my brain hurts just to cover the monthly bills and it starts again with almost $0…and the countdown for next month bills starts again…

Every single month is harder and more challenging than the previous one because the number never ceases to increase…

Here are my monthly expenses:

1. Food + Litters: Around $3,000

2. Rent: $700

3. Cleaner: $350

4. Vets: $7,000 - $9,000

I also have $11,800 in debts because despite me working so hard to make $10,000 per month, it's still not enough to cover the expenses of 79 cats.

I will use your donations to cover:

1. 79 cats + dog monthly expenses

2. Pay back the debt that's been haunting me for so long

3. Pay flights for serious adopters to rehome each and every cat and dog

Check out some of my rescue stories:

1. My love story with Picsu ❤️

2. My love story with Minu ❤️

3. The Dodo video ❤️

4. Blind cat story ❤️

5. Terrified Kittens Under The Car ❤️

---------------------

Today, I do have 1 dog + 79 cats & kittens spread across my parents' two-bed apartment + 2 apartments I rent for the cats + 3 vets. I know that most people would assume I chose to start a rescue. That was never my intention, though. When I rescued a cat for the first time, I had recently returned home to Morocco and gone through one of the most difficult periods of my life, falling victim to Raj Dhonota (https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/raj-dhonota-apprentice-unpaid-wages_uk_5e57af1fc5b66622ed7793df). To spread love and happiness, by saving a life, I felt uplifted.

One cat led to another and to another and another. I would look into the cats’ faces, whenever the exhaustion and the stress became overwhelming, and they reminded me why I was doing what I was doing. Living in Morocco, one sees cats wandering most streets, and without my effort, the cats would have remained on those same streets, their futures uncertain, their next meal never guaranteed.

To my core, I yearn to make a difference in these cats’ lives. I want them to feel safe and comfortable. Above all else, I want them to feel loved.

Their care has taken a toll on me, though. I am spending massive amounts of money on their food, vet costs, litters, cleaning, rent and their medications. It is not only the financial cost, though: because there are so many cats at my makeshift rescue, their care takes up ten, twelve, fourteen, or even more hours daily.

The weight of this task has compounded, which is why I am turning to you for help.

Besides all other expenses, these are the records I've collected of all the vet bills that I have covered out-of-pocket the last 12 months as part of this rescue work: Click here to check my vet bills

My Plan:

My first thought for the cats was to adopt them out to homes in Morocco. However, because financial circumstances are so often tight here, I haven’t found many local people willing to adopt any cats at all. It was only when I expanded my reach, meeting people in North America, that I started to get some traction.

Here is the problem now: there are no pet relocation service providers based in Morocco. The only feasible way to adopt these cats to new homes in North America is to cover their travel expenses – the cats’ and their transporters’.

As you can imagine, the costs of this plan will increase rapidly. I know that this mission will take all of my effort, time, and energy, but that is what I have put into it so far anyway.

Before I go further into the details of the plan and the role I am inviting you to play in it, let me tell you how I have gotten to this point.

Finding My Purpose:

Born in France and raised in Morocco, I lived in the United States as a student, before declining a job sponsorship to return to Morocco to work on a business idea I conceived while I was in the United States. My passion was sincere, and I was working hard. Unfortunately, I connected with someone whose intentions turned out to be less than pure. By the time I realized who this person really was, he had defrauded me of more money than I could afford to lose.

In the aftermath of the scam, my father helped me out, encouraging me and giving me a small stipend of $220 monthly, so that I could take my time figuring out my next steps.

February 1st, 2018: I’ll never forget that day. That was the day I rescued my first cat. The work wasn’t easy. It was satisfying, though.

I want you to know the same satisfaction – by joining me in my mission.

Here’s how.

What Do I Need to Make This Work?

An air-rescue operation is no small feat. I am the first person to acknowledge that. Follow along on my social media, though, and you’ll see that this is my whole life. I have dedicated myself to rescuing these cats, doing whatever is necessary to ensure that they wind up with families who will look after them and care for them.

I have calculated that in order to cover travel expenses for fifty cats and their transporters, I need to raise at least $170,000. All of those funds will pay for the costs that arise while I am rehoming the cats that I have rescued. If I raise anything above that amount of money, I pledge to spend the remainder rescuing more cats, striving tirelessly on behalf of the entire cat population in Morocco.

As a sign of my gratitude, I am going to provide regular updates about my mission and about this air-rescue operation. You will receive photos and videos so that you can keep up with all the latest news and developments.

Risks & Challenges

I have reached out to many influencers and media outlets. The Dodo, one of the largest animal-themed media outlets worldwide, was kind enough to share my video and drive some traffic my way, but I need to connect with more people. That is the biggest challenge I am up against: I need to get the word out about my mission far and wide. Otherwise, rescuing cats has become familiar to me. I have developed the skills that I need to care for the cats effectively, and to anyone who is thinking about adopting one of the cats but unsure if they are ready, I will make myself available for instruction and guidance.

I have put a deadline of September 2023 on myself. By that time, I hope to have adopted out the majority of the cats at my rescue. If I need to push back that deadline for any reason, I will let you know about it. This mission has been five years of my life, and I will continue to invest my time in it.

One Last Thing…

You love cats & dogs. That is wonderful! I love cats & dogs too, and I know many other people who do as well. My last request to you is that you find all of your friends and family who love cats and dogs as much as you and I do. Then, send them to this campaign. Let them know about the exciting, unique plan I have devised to adopt more close to 80 cats from Morocco to Canada and the United States.

-----------------------------------------

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I appreciate all your support!