Cuddle Cat Rescue recipient of Riedel Foundation grant

HANNIBAL Mo. — The Riedel Foundation Board of Trustees recently gave a $5,000 grant to Cuddle Cat Rescue for an upcoming spay and neuter program for cats in Hannibal.

The award is a matching grant following a recent fundraising event called the Meow Mixer, which raised more than $11,000 for the program.

In a press release, board president Gabrielle Esselman said, “Cuddle Cat gets calls year-round asking for assistance with cats and kittens, specifically with spaying and neutering cats. We have an extremely dedicated team of foster volunteers, but even they can’t keep up with the requests that pour in. This grant will help us reduce the community’s cat population problem in a humane way.”

It costs between $35 and $45 to spay or neuter a cat.

“The Riedel Board recently awarded a grant to the Northeast Missouri Humane Society for a spay and
neuter program,” trustee April Baldwin said. “Between the two organizations, we hope our funding can
make a real difference in controlling the number of stray animals in Hannibal.”

The Riedel Foundation will award more than $326,000 this year to help nonprofit organizations in Hannibal. It has distributed approximately $7 million since it was started in 2000.