A little while ago we told you about some of our favorite cat stories of 2020. Today we’re excited to share a few more from the rest of our leadership team! Everyone on this team spends time in the trenches, so to speak, but we don’t always have a chance to share our favorite adoptions in our day-to-day life. We each took a moment to reflect on the adoptions that really stuck with us. Thank you for helping each of these cats get adopted this year!
“Sugarloaf loved her loyal shadow, and her sweet purr reassured Shasta, who grew exponentially more trusting with people. Seeing how they supported each other, we decided to have them go home together.”
Dilara’s Pick
Shasta and SugarloaF
These two girls have a special place in my heart, as they not only showcase what Cat Town does so well — the transformation from scared to trusting — but also what cats do for each other. Shasta came to Cat Town first: —a beautiful dilute calico with a serious looking hiss. We would usually find her hiding, but she slowly started warming up to people, thanks to treats and soft talk. And then, enter Sugarloaf. This beguiling beauty queen with a playful personality had quite the maternal side. Her easy going demeanor helped other cats feel safe, but none so much as Shasta. When Shasta and Sugarloaf curled up together, we could start petting Sugarloaf and casually drift our hands over to pet Shasta, too. Sugarloaf loved her loyal shadow, and her sweet purr reassured Shasta, who grew exponentially more trusting with people. Seeing how they supported each other, we decided to have them go home together.
Then, Sugarloaf started showing signs of ringworm, which comes with a suite of treatment requirements that any cat would find challenging. For a cat who is just starting to build trust in people, like Shasta, these treatments can cause serious backsliding. We isolated the girls together, to offset the behavioral risks, which paid off big-time. The lovely pair got adopted the day they finished their treatment!
Marie-Luise’s Pick
Gri-Gri
Gri-Gri was one of the very few females from a group of nearly 20 cats who we helped this year. I immediately loved how stinking cute she looked — like a little lion, with exceptionally cute floofs behind her ears — but I love her adoption story even more. Gri-Gri started off in our Adoption Center. She was shy and fearful, but she seemed to have so much personality just waiting to be discovered. When the stay-at-home orders came down in Alameda County in March, we placed her in a foster home. She really blossomed in foster — which goes to show how the right environment can make all the difference. Gri-Gri also developed a bond with one of the other cats in the house, Rocco, who liked to play and wrestle with her. She followed him around everywhere so closely that the two of them formed a constant “train of cats.” When the stay-at-home orders were lifted, we moved Gri-Gri back to the Adoption Center. But with his little shadow gone, something unexpected happened: Rocco became sad, and his humans realized what a big impact Gri-Gri had made on each of them as well. Unbeknownst to anyone until the moment she was gone, they had all fallen in love with this little spunky fluff ball, and missed her so much that they came back to adopt her just a couple days later!
Dawn’s Pick
Serendipity and fortune
The very recent adoption of Serendipity and Fortune is one of my favorites of this crazy year, 2020. If you asked me how long they've been with Cat Town, I would have said two years, without a doubt, two years. But when I look at the calendar, it's been 11 months. Maybe it feels like two years because, well, 2020. Or maybe it feels like two years because they were in four different foster homes in 11 months. Due to no fault of their own, they had to move several times, so I wanted to make sure that when they finally got adopted, it stuck. Serendipity and Fortune had been with their last foster, Janet, for 3 months, and made huge strides — they were happier than ever, but still hadn’t found “their people.” Then came along an incredibly sweet family who felt very passionate about helping these two cats get to their next chapter. This family was well versed in transition, patience, and acceptance. I knew they would encourage growth but were also willing to accept the cats for who they are today. It's only been one month since Serendipity and Fortune went to their new home. They settled in very quickly with their new family (I think the cats knew they were finally home) and they've already decided to make the adoption official.
