The Little Life Sanctuary

18/06/2024

To our loyal supporters, I need to update you and turn to you for some urgent help. I’ve been completely run off my feet. I am so so sorry I have been a little quiet on Facebook. It wasn’t my intention.

There is just not enough hours in the day especially when you are dedicating every waking minute to the cats and kittens in care. I mean that, the cats and kittens are my life, they are here forever and I do everything I can to do what I can for them.

I hope you understand. We have no choice but tonight to launch an urgent fundraiser which I’m really hoping you will support.

It would be great if 12 of you could kickstart our efforts to clear our vet and food bills by clicking here: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/urgent-help-for-our-cats-and-kittens

It’s been busy. Really busy. I literally haven’t had a second to stop. I wanted to launch this fundraiser at the beginning of May. You have to believe me, but time has gotten away and we are now in a desperate situation for funds.

It’s been overwhelming. I love what I do and we see such great results like Ester and her litter of kittens. I got a call to help a mum cat and her kittens that she defended after a dog attack. She suffered several bite wounds and a badly broken leg and so needed it amputated.

Imagine caring for 7 kittens that needed syringe feeding every 3 hours around the clock. That was the situation we faced. We just couldn’t say no to Allegra, Diego, Lorenzo, Mario, Nero, Augustus, and Caesar.

Balancing this with our every increasing workload, especially when tiredness well and truly set in after doing this for weeks at a time. They all are now weaned off and have a great time. They are with us for life and we will do all we can for them.

There’s also Muppet, an older, sick street cat whom we rescued. Muppet was not in a good way and needed numerous vet visits and tender loving care. Muppet was rescued in Canberra's north.

He is an older gentleman who was abused and dumped. He is very frightened and would not have survived the winter on the streets. He is FIV positive and needs ongoing care.

Also I need to tell you about Clever. Clever has epilepsy,. Her seizures were life-threatening. She needs daily medication. With the medication, she is now well and comfortable and has gained weight but the road ahead is still long.

It’s important to remember that every cat and kitten that comes to us stays with us for live. We take in those that desperately need help. It’s a life long commitment.

We need to raise $20,000 tonight to pay off our bills and make sure we are back on level footing.

Just $5 from each and every one of you would help us get there. It’s the cost of your next cup of coffee but one that will help us so very much.

If you can please write the word DONE below after you have donated and please please share this far and wide. We need all the help we can get tonight for our cats and kittens that are with us forever.

Please donate now: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/urgent-help-for-our-cats-and-kittens

17/12/2023

Dear Loyal followers, we’ve just had a committee meeting as things are pretty grim. I need to let you know where things are at and ask for your urgent support. It’s at this stage for our rescue, and I need to put it all on the line tonight and ask for donations.

It’s Martin here, the founder of our rescue. We try so hard, but try as we may, we can’t catch a break at the moment.

Tonight, we’re asking at least 13 of you to chip in to our urgent fundraiser to save our rescue and get us back on some sort of financial footing. You can chip in here: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/our-urgent-plea-for-help

I am mentally and physically exhausted. Late nights, early mornings, getting up at 3am. To be honest, this post should have gone up over 12 days ago, but I just don’t have the time. We are stretched and stressed. I am fully committed with my team of volunteers to this rescue and the animals, but at the moment, we are frustrated.

We are frustrated due to how hard we try our financial position is letting us down. Vet bills and food bills, we have bills everywhere, and we just can’t keep up.

I was put on this planet to save animals like Dolly, an older street cat, and Kelly, Dorian, Sylvie and Sundara and so many others in need but at the moment we just can’t keep up.

Let me tell you about Sundara…She is a disturbed cat. For maybe around 2 years, she just lashed out at anyone.

She does now headbutts with me and loves to have her back massaged, and then she purrs away. Sometimes, after the massage, she lashes out again, but it's almost like an afterthought, like: Oh, I forgot, that was in my job description!

Also, I need to let you know about Sylvie…

Sylvie is extremely frightened and shy. Living in a normal home would be a nightmare for her and the family as well. But in the sanctuary and its playground and space, she has relaxed and is happy.

These cats stay here forever. It’s a life long commitment. All I try to do is to make sure that whoever comes through our doors have a safe, comfortable place forever.

The bills however keep coming and so do the phone calls and the SMSes. It is unrelenting. I know we need to keep on going. Our team does, too.

Tonight we need to raise $20,000. It’s urgent and it’s vital as we have so many vet bills to pay off.

Just $5 from each and every one of you would get us there. It’s my Xmas wish that we get to our target. It’s my only wish to be honest. For the animals xx

If you can please write the word DONE below after you have donated and please please share this far and wide. It is so vital that before Xmas hits we raise these funds. I trust you understand.

Please donate now: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/our-urgent-plea-for-help

29/08/2023

Thank you so much for the fantastic supplies of food, litter and beds and toys for the little souls of the sanctuary!
So wonderful for everyone 😻😻😻😻😻








The kittens in the pictures loving their food are Marmalade, Biscuit, Momo and Moppet

26/06/2023

The brightest light

From the Little souls

We have now moved into our new home and adventure playground.
Thanks to the most incredible and amazing achievement at cat wrangling and catching from our wonderful friends of the Canberra Street Cat Alliance.

Many of us have settled and excitedly explore our new surroundings. Some of us are still a little nervous but with every day feel more comfortable and we know everyone is safe.
We just have to teach Daddy new care and service routines.

It was a long and difficult journey.

The brightest light in all the years was that there are people that care about us. You.

Every kind word and thought, every gesture and hour of work, every Dollar, every bag of food or litter, every toy or snuggle bed made a difference.

Many happy little lives continue on and we will have more stories and pictures and videos for you soon.

Thank you so much 💕😻😻😻

06/06/2023

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I have no words. You, my dear amazing followers and animal lovers answered my urgent call.

I was facing real stress levels with food and vet bills due and you came to my rescue. Together we raised over $10,000 which will go straight to our animals tender loving care.

I can’t thank you enough. I know how hard it is out there, so I really appreciate each donation, comment, share, word of support more than you can ever know.

These funds allow us to do what we do best. The calls for help is unrelenting at present so I really needed these funds.

I will continue to help those animals in these darkest moment. Thank you so very much.

Eternally grateful. It means the world x

28/05/2023

THIS IS OUR SOS – WE NEED YOUR URGENT HELP – DONATIONS NEEDED – PLEASE SHARE LIKE CRAZY

I wish it wasn’t so. You need to believe me. I’ve been holding off writing this post to you, my beloved supporters. It’s late. I’ve been busy. I haven’t had a chance to post all day…. I’ve just refreshed the thermometer bar and to be honest, I’m stressed out of my mind.

We desperately need funds for food and to pay off the vet bills due. I have a big one due tomorrow. We need the cash, it’s the reality of the situation.

I was truly hoping that my last post would get us pretty close to our goal but as I look at the thermometer bar we are really struggling. I know things are tough out there but our cats and kittens whom we rescue and rehabilitate in their darkest hours need us. It’s the reality.

I really need at least 12 more of you to chip in to get us closer to our goal. Please donate here: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/help-us-in-our-time-of-need

Precious Dorian was extremely fearful and stressed and kept pulling his own fur out injuring himself when he first came to us. Over time he gained trust and learned to love head buts and cuddles.

He is still highly strung and needs special care but he loves his life here. It’s a life long commitment. It really is. I am so proud to see how they improve over the time with tender lover care but the costs add up as you can imagine.

Emily is a torture survivor and at the time of her rescue only 300 gram of her were left. I had never seen anything like it. In all my years.

She is improving day by day. Bottle feeding through the night, a lot of stress over her inability to eat at first and constant vet trips. However, she is now on the way to recovery and is a cuddly happy cat.

As I write to you, you need to understand how stressed I feel. I just need to put it on the line tonight and ask you to help raise the remaining $10,344 we are still short.

For our cats. For our kittens. For those in their darkest days that will be with us for their entire life.

Just $5 from each and every one of you would help us so very much. Can you pls pay forward your morning coffee for those like Dorian and Emily that need us more than ever.

We will do everything we can for those that come to us. A warm place to sleep. 24 hour care through the night. Syringe feeding to make it as easy as possible for our little ones to get the nutrients they need. Whatever it takes. It’s our promise to you. However, tonight it is SOS for us. Our time of need.

If you can please write the word DONE below after you have donated and please please share this post far and wide so the whole world knows our situation. We need a mircle.

Please donate now: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/help-us-in-our-time-of-need

18/05/2023

“Come quick… I’m not sure if this little one is going to make it”.

This was the phone call we got in the middle of the night. Poor little blind Angel found nearly dead on a public car park. We immediately took her to the vet for her throat injury.

Whilst in the humidicrib, it was touch and go but she managed to survive after weeks of syringe feeding at all hours of the night she has now gained strength. Last night she ate a small bowl of food on her own and talked and purred when I cuddled her.

Tonight, I need your help for animals like little Angel. Things are really tough at the moment.

I need at least 8 of you to donate to kickstart our emergency fundraiser here: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/help-us-in-our-time-of-need

It’s so hard out there. I thought things would get easier after the first few months of the year but alas, that has not been the case. I try hard. Every single moment of every single day. For our cats and kittens in our care.

Rescuing cats and kittens for our sanctuary is a life long commitment. When I rescued Blue he was emaciated and near death. Still, so many years later he sometimes eats food in a concerned hurry.

He recovered and became a true gentleman of the sanctuary. He made many friends and cared for the young and insecure ones that cuddled up to him.

To be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Tonight, we are launching our emergency fundraiser to raise at least $15,000.

We have no choice. We receive no government grants so are completely reliant on you, our amazing loyal followers for support.

I can promise you that every dollar that you donate goes straight to the care of these wonderful creatures. We will continue doing what we do best.

Just $5 from each and every one of you would mean the world. It’s the cost of your next cup of coffee but one that will help us so very much get our vet and food bills back under control.

This is our SOS. I wish it wasn’t so.

If you can please write the word DONE below after you have donated and please please share this far and wide. We really need the world’s help tonight to get to our emergency fundraiser goal.

Please donate now: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/help-us-in-our-time-of-need

11/05/2023

Who we are

The Little Life Sanctuary provides a secure refuge and healing space for abused, traumatized and special needs cats.

IF you have a feline that requires re-homing

At present the Sanctuary is building a new upgraded facility which is a very costly undertaking.
As a very small volunteer group our resources are stretched to the limit in terms of time and money. Currently we are mostly self funded and require financial assistance to continue in the future.
We are responsible to the current residents of the Sanctuary to provide them with the best care possible.

Therefore, until we have completed our new facility and operations have stabilized we are unable to accept any new residents.

Please be considerate of the humans who care deeply for the residents of the Little Life Sanctuary and respect our request not to ask for assistance that we are currently unable to provide until we have completed this move and operations have stabilized.

To give your cat or kitten the best chance of finding a loving forever home, please do the Vet work, de-sex, microchip and vaccinate.
If in the future your the cat still needs the sanctuary, we would need as much background information as you can supply about your feline. So please be prepared to do the paperwork and we respectfully ask you to consider how you can support
your cat in an ongoing manner if we accept it into the Sanctuary.

How you can help us:
If you wish to assist us the Little Life Sanctuary is a registered charity, your monetary donation is tax deductible. We are happy and very grateful to receive donations. In addition to money, cat food, litter and parasite control are most helpful.

From Marty, the feline residents and the rest of the team, we thank you for your time, donations and understanding

01/04/2023

Hey guys, we get asked from time to time, how best to support our rescue. We are touched by this generosity.

From today, we have set up a really simple way for you to donate to us (once off or perhaps regularly if you see fit). You will get a receipt back immediately via email. I can't tell you how much it will help us. Every dollar counts, no matter how small.

With all the cats and kittens that need our help more than ever at present it is so gratefully accepted.

Just click on this link and it should literally take 60 seconds: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/donations

Thanks from the bottom of my heart as always xx

13/02/2023

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

It has taken me a little time to compose this to you, my dear followers. I can’t actually thank you enough.

I was stressed, exhausted and to be honest, thought I had no where to turn. I put the call out for help, thinking we would be lucky to raise a few hundred dollars.

Thanks to every single one of you, we exceeded our goal of $15,000, giving us a little breathing space.

It is my promise to you that I will continue to do whatever I can for these precious cats and kittens in my care. To all of those who donated, shared our post or wished us well. THANK YOU.

Much love from Kitty and Marmalade xx

05/02/2023

To my wonderful followers, I’ve held off turning to you for as long as I can but tonight I need to reach out for urgent help.

Things are tough here. We’ve had lots and lots of urgent cases come in and the calls for help keep getting louder.

I have no option but to ask for your help to get our food and vet bills under control and allow me to keep providing for these little lives. We are the last resort for cats that cannot be re-homed and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Little Life is designed as a big kitten playground with lots of safe hiding places and play things where they can heal and live at their own pace.

Healing periods are often very long, sometimes many, many months, but I’m there for them every step of the way. No matter what they need, middle of the night vet visits, feeding into the wee hours of the morning, love and care, I am there to give them the best chance of a better life.

Many of my little souls are so ill when they come in. You wouldn’t believe the state they are in! They need lots of veterinary care and medication.

Some of these beautiful souls have no teeth and can only eat soft food. I am proud of what we have done so far, and while there is still so much to do, our team work really hard - and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

I want to tell you about Moppet, who was abused and kicked and had many bones broken. She only just survived. A very quiet, gentle and smart girl.

Over the years she has become a cuddly, comfortable cat and enjoys her live. However, from time to time she has been sick, in my view, due to the way she was previously treated and needs urgent vet visits.

She has been with us for such a long time but being able to show her that love, dedication and a warm heart has shown her that not all humans are bad.

Greg is another precious one that came to us after being stabbed with a bamboo stake. Extremely fearful and anxious he cannot retract his claws anymore and when he walks on hard ground one can hear his steps. But he learned to trust and found peace and happiness.

Greg still has a long way to go but is making great strides. Moppet and Greg are just two of the cats we have with us.

The road is long for most of the cats after being so badly abused. We are their last chance for a better life and it’s why I was put on this planet: to help those cats in their darkest days. While I would never say there’s a downside to being privileged enough to care for these souls, it is an expensive endeavour.

Tonight we need to raise $15,000 to pay off our food and vet bills so we can continue to give these cats the peace and health they deserve.

Just $5 from each and every one of you would get us to our goal. It’s the cost of your next cup of coffee but one that will help us more than ever save precious little lives.

If you can, please write the word DONE after you have donated and please, please share this post far and wide. We really need everyone to know about our current situation.

This is our SOS. Our real time of need. We need a miracle x

Please donate now: https://little-life-sanctuary.giveeasy.org/we-need-your-urgent-help

03/02/2023

My beautiful Kitty has a grand soul and the biggest heart.
Over the many years she helped comfort and ease the stressed, injured and traumatised little souls that came to us.
She was companion, friend and mother to so many and helped them heal and enjoy their lives.

30/01/2023

23/01/2023

My beautiful Kitty has a grand soul and the biggest heart.
Gentle and caring, she always helps me looking after traumatised and scared patients and helps them recover and find peace and happiness.

05/08/2022

Paw prints in my heart

Beautiful and brave Smokey died from liver cancer

A scarlet Oak is growing over her resting place

05/02/2022

A happy adventure from Old Tom

I was at the dentist!
So I got no teeth left but I am as happy as I have ever been.

So much of my life I was afraid, scared, sad and hurt.
It took me a long time to learn that human hands can protect and gently pet and hold. And bring soft food and treats...
And now I am sitting on my Dads lap and love it!

From all my heart I want to thank you so much to my wonderful friends from the Canberra Street Cat Alliance and Queanbeyan colony carers who looked out for me, cared for and rescued me and made this happy life in the sanctuary possible ❤

22/01/2022

Smokey the Top Cat

She is a very smart beautiful girl with a plush tail. Her earth colored coat has markings that make her almost invisible in a natural environment.

Smokey grew up in a cold, wet gully where rainfalls can flood the gully and make it dangerous.

I never forget the first time Smokey discovered the luxuries of civilization. She hopped on the couch which was covered with soft and fluffy blankets.
She leaped into the air.
Then she rolled from one side of the couch to the other, leaped in the air again, rolled back again, leapt and kept doing this for some time.
It was as if she said "How good is this! Why am I living in a cold wet gully under a concrete block?"
Then she rested in the most comfortable spot in the corner.

Eventually she stayed.

And now, more than 11 years later she is still the gorgeous and smart lioness and loves her life.

08/01/2022

A beautiful little spirit

Khoel was a shy and gentle girl.

She learned to trust and that life can be peaceful, happy and safe. A lovely and quiet presence, she made best friends with Billie-Jean.

Out of nowhere a stomach obstruction developed and beautiful Khoel died in hospital the night before her surgery.
She is buried in the sanctuary and I planted little tree with red flowers next to her.

04/12/2021

Tortitude

Our Biscuit is a most affectionate girl with attitude.
She always wants to be part of whatever is going on and helps with cooking and administration alike. Even medicating she accepts very gracefully with the odd cranky comment. She enjoys sunning her tummy but most of all she loves being on my lap getting cuddles and purring away.

19/11/2021

Farewell Toby

Our handsome Toby was full of life and quirks. He loved playing, climbing, jumping and backrubs. Basking in the sun and watching the world around him.

In the first picture is the way he came to me for his evening treats.

In the middle of his life a cancer developed and he passed away unexpectedly and suddenly.

I am grateful for every happy moment with him

13/08/2021

Making friends
One of the loveliest and happiest things is when the little souls get to know each other and make friends.
This is a picture of princess Marmalade from the spotlight colony in Queanbeyan and clever Beppi who has recovered and healed after jaw reconstruction and dental work.
Marmalade is now 10 years old but is still as playful like a little kitten. Beppi is just over 2 years and still quite traumatized and scared but loves cuddles now and enjoys hanging out with Marmalade.

13/08/2021

A very special girl
Gorgeous Nita was saved by my wonderful friends from the Canberra Street Cat Alliance.
Poor Nita was very disturbed from her past. She needed a unicorn home, a place that is impossible to find. My beautiful friends Annette and Anna came up with the name of unicorn home.
So Nita came to the sanctuary where she could be just herself and be safe and enjoy her life.
After some years Nita learned to trust.
Today she is very talkative and calls for treats anytime. And she enjoys pats, and wants me to watch over her when she eats the treats. Should I try to do something else she abandons the treat, runs after me and complains until I come back with her eating her treat.
Such a happy complaint after a long journey.

28/05/2021

Enjoying old age
Blue is the most senior cat in the Little Life Sanctuary.
He is 17 years and very much enjoys cuddles and his special treats. At the vets he is always a model patient.

18/04/2021

A happy story from Issy
When Issy came she was utterly confused and terrified. For more than a year she came out of her safe place only in the middle of the night to quickly eat.
Now she relaxes with her friends in the sanctuary, plays and enjoys the sunshine.
We are having great conversations and she likes winking at me like she does in her picture.

04/02/2021

Our little boy is gone

Gentle Raizin had a hard life on the streets and was ill.
His body never had a chance to fully develop.

But angels rescued him and he found friends and a safe place here with us.
He learned to cuddle and purred in his Dads arms.

Life was good and happy.

Then his illness hit again hard and fast.

It was too much for his little body.

Our gentle Raizin passed away peacefully and loved in Dads arms

26/01/2021

Forever Love