Keep the Cat Lounge Open: A La Jolla Landmark Needs Us

The Cat Lounge has been a quiet force for good in La Jolla since 2019. In that time, more than 6,000 cats have found safety, care, and loving homes through their doors. It is a place where rescue is not just a mission statement — it is what happens every single day.

Right now, that mission is in jeopardy. The Cat Lounge is facing serious financial pressure and is exploring options as drastic as leasing out a portion of their space just to cover operating costs. For a facility that was never large to begin with, losing any part of that space could mean fewer cats saved, fewer adoptions, and ultimately, closure.

La Jolla is a community with both the heart and the means to solve this. Our goal is $50,000 — funds that will stabilize operations, protect the physical space the cats depend on, and give the team the breathing room to focus on what they do best: saving lives.

Why monthly matters most

Here is the truth behind the $50,000: The Cat Lounge is running roughly $20,000 short every single month. One-time gifts help patch the hole right now — but what we really need to keep the doors open long-term is a community of monthly supporters.

A recurring membership — even $10, $25, or $50 a month — does something a one-time donation cannot: it lets the team plan. It pays the rent, the vet bills, and the food bowls on a schedule we can actually count on. If just 400 people in La Jolla committed to $50 a month, the monthly shortfall would be gone. That is the math.

If you can give once, please do — every dollar counts toward the $50K. But if The Cat Lounge has ever made you smile, calmed your kid, or given a cat you love a second chance, we are asking you to consider becoming a monthly member instead. It is the difference between surviving this crisis and never having to run another one.

This is a challenge campaign, which means every dollar raised is a signal to the broader community that The Cat Lounge is worth fighting for. Your contribution — at any level, one-time or monthly — helps us hit milestones that unlock momentum and keep this effort visible.

Give today. Share this page with someone who loves cats, believes in La Jolla, or simply knows that good organizations deserve to survive hard times. The Cat Lounge has shown up for 6,000 cats. Now it is our turn to show up for them.