By Nara Dahlbacka
Ziggy, my Cat Town cat, literally leaps from across the room to sit on my shoulder just about every day. He was a not-so-secret ingredient at Cat Town’s Adoption Center: a “starter cat” who would teach less confident cats how to be brave. They watched his example and quickly followed his lead — playing with toys and rubbing up against visitors’ legs.
Cats like Ziggy act as confident role models for our shyer cats.
That’s the magic of Cat Town: with the help of dedicated volunteers and just a few assertive cats like Ziggy, hundreds of cats learn to build confidence and get adopted.
As Board President, I’m proud that Cat Town gives the shelter cats at highest risk of euthanasia a chance to find homes, filling a need that had been overlooked for so many years. Even my confident Ziggy, who helped dozens of cats learn to be brave enough for adoption, started off at the shelter with a BB gun injury.
Zazzles at the Oakland shelter just before coming to Cat Town.
Your support helps Cat Town save these cats every day, and has made it possible for the Oakland city shelter to achieve a euthanasia rate on par with the best shelters in the Bay Area.
Imagine this work spreading all over the country, helping more shelters in need.
With your support, we will work to make this vision a reality. Every dollar raised by December 31, up to $100,000, is being doubled by Maddie’s Fund, and as of today, we’ve reached nearly 70% of this challenge goal. I hope you’ll join me in making a donation today to help Cat Town save more cats who have no place else to turn!
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