Whiskers TNR of Warren County: Dressed to the Nines--The Meow Mixer Goes to Prom Recap
- Calli Tuggle
- Nov 11
- 3 min read
On November 8th, Whiskers TNR of Warren County held their 9th annual fundraiser event--this year's event is entitled Dressed to the Nines--The Meow Mixer Goes to Prom.
In 2016, animal lover and mom, Corissa Arndt noticed a problem with the stray cat population in her community. Corissa, with the help of her husband, Jeremy, started a 501 (c)-3 non-profit charity. Their goal was simple--they wanted to improve the lives of the stray cat population through trapping, neutering, and returning them. Thus, Whiskers TNR of Warren County was born!
Earlier this summer, the Whiskers TNR planning committee (sans Shannon) came into my studio at Mainframe Studios for some promotional photos. The images then appeared across Whisker TNR of Warren County's Facebook, Instagram, and their website inviting two celebrity superheroes to the prom. Read the previous blog post about the event. These individuals are the planning committee, and they deserve a round of applause for their success with the Meow Mixer.
The 2025 Meow Mixer was a wildly successful event. St. James Celebrations graciously provided their large event space for the evening. With around 200 guests, a large merch table, space for the silent auction, bar, catering, prom photos, and dancing--the event space was large enough to accommodate all the cool cats and kittens.
Driving Cap Entertainment provided their DJing services for the evening, Putney Auction provided the live auction, Whip it Good Catering provided four meal options including vegetarian and gluten free options, Beauty by Alyssa Lloyd provided make-up, and The Art Salon provided hair services.
Katy Jo Kimbley with Nine Photography and Design and I provided photography services for Whiskers TNR of Warren County's Meow Mixer. Katy photographed the candid photos of the night, and I ran the official Prom Photo booth. Each person that bought a photo ticket for $20 received two digital images and 1 instant photo to take home. The photo booth alone generated $940! This is enough money to neuter 10 cats! This was the first year having an official prom photographer as well as a photographer dedicated solely to candid images. Because of the success of the prom photos, Whiskers has invited me back again or next year!
The committee is still crunching numbers from the evening, but it's estimated that the event raised more than $18,000! Despite the low overheard by not having a brick-and-mortar facility and being a completely volunteer run organization, costs are still high to provide the best care for these felines. Below are some of the common expenses and costs associated with them, taken directly from Whisker's Website.
Deworming | $10 |
Vaccines - Flea and Tick Preventative | $25 |
Fecal Test | $30 |
Microchip or Routine Vet Visit | $50 |
Bloodwork | $100 |
Spay/Neuter or Dental Cleaning | $250 |
Specialist work-up and exam | $500 |
Major surgery | $1000+ |
Whiskers TNR is a volunteer run organization that relies heavily on volunteers to help foster the kittens that are adoptable. Even if you are not in a position to foster a cat or kitten, you can still foster financially.
I had so much at the 2025 Meow Mixer and am already looking forward to next year's event. If you were in attendance, you can check out the photos I took here. Please only download the photos that you are present in. Stay in the loop with all things cats by following along on Whiskers TNR of Warren County's Facebook page to see the final amount raised to support stray cats in Warren County. If you want to read more about the Mixer and their sponsors, please visit the Indianola Independent Advocate to read Jenny Fee's official write-up of the event.
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