OAKLAND — Nadia was about 6 months old, hissy and prone to swatting, when we pulled her from a shelter cage. Cat Town's own Marie C., a cat care coordinator, took her in as part of the Forgotten Kitten Project.
Marie, and her two resident cats, helped Nadia learn to trust people.
After a few weeks in the comfortable confines of foster care, Nadia blossomed into a charismatic companion. So, she transitioned to Cat Town's main adoption center, where she could continue building confidence and have the best chance at finding a family. She was just beginning to relax around the new smells, sounds and activities when a burglary disrupted a sleepy night in the Cat Zone.
When the intruder smashed a pair of windows and walked into Cat Town's adoption center, sending terrified cats running for cover, curious Nadia took the opportunity to let herself out into the world.
The event was disturbing and disruptive. The little medium-haired tuxedo was captured on video sauntering up to the broken window and stepping out onto the sidewalk along Broadway.
Nadia can been seen here (left) heading for the window while the intruder (right) heads for the back room.
This was a devastating development for an animal rescue that takes every precaution to keep its residents safe and secure. Nadia’s adventure into the night quickly turned traumatic. The property next to Cat Town was undergoing major construction work and the winter rains had turned the dirt into mud.
Luckily, Nadia's story has a happy ending.
Cat Town staff sprung into action, asking people in the neighborhood to keep an eye out for our missing girl. When a construction crew showed up Friday morning for work, the sound of equipment startled Nadia out of hiding, and worker, Daniel Johnston was able to catch her. He carried an angry and squirmy Nadia back to Cat Town. Wet, dirty and stressed, she decompressed in a staff bathroom, until Marie, her former foster mom, could put her in a carrier and take her home for recuperation.
Nadia, covered in mud, just after her safe return.
With a space heater on and a bowl of water at the ready, Marie and another Cat Town staff member cleaned Nadia's fur, and let her relax in a cozy spot, back in her former foster home.
It wasn't long before Nadia was, mostly, back to her old self, chasing feather wand toys, meowing for treats, purring for pets and trying to engage the resident cats in some wrestling.
Ever resillient, Nadia was happy to get back to things like playtime after her adventure.
Then it was time to place Nadia up for adoption. Just two nights ago, a family of three arranged a meeting. It was a match, and sweet little Nadia is now onto her happily ever after!
While Nadia's story has the dramatic twist of the March event, the efforts taken to help her are completely standard for Cat Town, where staff and specially trained volunteers work in fast-changing, often unpredictable, situations to give shy, sick and stressed cats the attention and care they need to thrive. And while a break-in is uncommon — and thanks to newly increased security measure supported by your generous donations, unlikely to happen again — the dedication to our cats remains the same.
Come meet our current members of the Forgotten Kitten Project, Wednesday through Sunday at 2869 Broadway in Oakland.
Cat Town is working to help other rescues across the country replicate our work with Forgotten Kittens thanks to a generous grant from Maddie’s Fund. First visit to the Cat Town blog? Learn more about our Forgotten Kitten Project in our regular Kitten Wire dispatches.
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