The Food Pantry

The CFA Breeder Assistance Program, set up initially to aid cat breeders who found themselves overwhelmed for various reasons, has been quietly and successfully in operation since 2006.

Breeders who needed help have received the confidential assistance they requested - one had lost their job and could no longer afford to purchase sufficient food, others had extreme emergencies such as surgery with extensive recovery time, a new limit law with a 10 day compliance requirement that necessitated an immediate reduction in numbers, and a breeder who experienced a major house fire.

As the program was being developed in the CFA Midwest Region, an urgent need for pet food was uncovered.  It was discovered that, occasionally, breeders might need help to feed their cats. To fulfill this need, donations of cat food were requested at cat shows -- and the Food Pantry program was born!

With the generous assistance of Royal Canin, a system has been developed to assist those cat owners who find themselves in dire straits and unable to purchase cat food.  Royal Canin's donation of their overstock to the fledgling Food Pantry program helped immensely to relieve the burden of the expense of feeding cats. This successful regional program has now been expanded to operate on a national level.

As well as aiding breeders in stressful situations, Royal Canin’s donation of their overstock product also aids other cats in need across the country. In conjunction with the national Food Pantry program, large quantities of Royal Canin donated food are distributed to shelters and rescue groups to aid in the care of their rescued cat populations. To date, in conjunction with Royal Canin, the Food Pantry has shipped approximately 18,000 pounds of food around the country.

Approximately 20 breeders and 12 rescue groups and shelters have been recipients of aid from the Breeder Assistance Program and the Food Pantry.  Rescue groups and shelters that have received food donations include:  

• Cat Adoption Team, Oregon - "Thank you again for the more than generous donation of 8,245 pounds of Royal Canin cat food to the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, Oregon. This amount of food will feed our shelter population of 300 cats and kittens on average, for about one year (over 3,000 cats total). It further enables us to allocate the freed-up funds to other important areas of our budget to keep saving lives."

• Ark-Valley Humane Society, Colorado - " Thank you so much for donating 19 boxes of Royal Canin cat food and one box of Purina and Nutro kitten food to our shelter.  The food you donated will help us feed the cats in our care and will also help to feed the pet cats of low-income families through our community's mission program. "

• Humane Society of Southern Illinois, Illinois - "With great thanks for all Royal Canin is doing through its donations for cats and kittens all over the country and, of course, for Royal Canin's much needed donation to the cats and kittens of Southern Illinois.”

If you know of a shelter/rescue that could benefit from a donation of pet food, please forward the group information to breedersassist@aol.com. Please consider a donation to the CFA Breeder Assistance and Food Pantry Programs.

Additional Information:

• Royal Canin Comes to the Rescue!
  Press Release