Every Cat is Family

“I am grateful to Cat Town for giving us both that gift. The way they supported him, and me, told me everything I needed to know about them.”

— Jennifer E.

I know from experience that Cat Town does all they can to help the cats who need the most support. My story starts with a cat named Bruno, the first of three wonderful cats I adopted from Cat Town.

Bruno was an 8 year old black cat with a cauliflower ear. Before he came to Cat Town, he had been in a cage for 7 years at another rescue, waiting to be adopted. I immediately fell in love with him. He was a sweet cat with the loudest meow, and he instantly bonded with my resident kitty. However, Bruno quickly became ill.

Adopting suddenly meant hospice care, instead of the many years of human strength head butts I had envisioned. Cat Town stepped in and covered 100% of the expenses for Bruno's end-of-life care, answered all of my questions, and checked on us often. With Cat Town’s help, Bruno lived his last months in a home, knowing he was loved, and purring next to me every night before bed. 

I am grateful to Cat Town for giving us both that gift. The way they supported him, and me, told me everything I needed to know about them.

After a couple of months, I asked Cat Town if they had  other cats having trouble being adopted. They told me about Ollie, an FIV-positive cat who had been dumped at Oakland Animal Services, covered in fleas and scabies. His eyes were practically swollen shut. He was missing some teeth, and needed to have more teeth pulled. I wasn’t sure I was ready to adopt yet, so agreed to foster Ollie so Cat Town could give him the medical care he needed… but that lasted all of one day. I had to adopt him. 

Today, Ollie is healthy. He still squints a lot and is a little cross-eyed, his tongue falls out from time to time when he sleeps, and his feet and tail are too small for his body. In other words, he could not be more perfect! 

Ollie loves other cats, so when his cat buddies passed away last year, I could tell he was lonely. I reached out to Cat Town, and knowing me as they do, they said they had the perfect cat for me: Tony! Tony is a senior cat with FIV, and at the time, had a bad cold, and an ear infection. The Oakland city shelter had asked three other rescues if they would help him, but all declined. Cat Town got him into foster care, and put him in their senior medical program, “In It for Life,” so they’ll cover his medical care forever.

Once I met him, there was no going back. Tony is a sweet and loving cat. He’s always sneezing and drooling, but he makes up for always being damp with his goofy nature. He and Ollie have become buddies, which is exactly what I hoped for. 

Cat Town found the perfect cats for me because they spend time getting to know each cat in their care. They treat every cat like family — and because of that, my cats got a chance to get out of a cage and find their way to me, where they belong. 

I hope you’ll help more cats find the people waiting to love them with a gift today.

Thank you,

Jennifer, Adopter of Bruno, Ollie & Tony

Jackie and Boba

“He just needed a chance to be in a bigger space where he could learn to be around people. ”

— Boba Fett's adopter, Jackie

At Cat Town, we often pull cats who seem angry at the shelter. It can feel scary to help these cats at first, so most organizations pass those cats by, but we’ve learned that an angry cat is usually one who was once loved by someone. Having lost so much, their emotions get the better of them in a stressful environment. 

Boba enjoys playtime with Jackie.

Boba was conflicted at the shelter. In one moment, he’d lunge and charge at passersby, then the next he would be flirty, rubbing on bars. One time he even bit someone. Despite this, he seemed angry rather than feral, so we brought him to Cat Town. We knew he needed to get into a real home, and fortunately, Boba found some incredible adopters who wanted to take a chance on him. 

Here’s their story.

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Boba came into my life in a time where I was at my lowest. I had just quit my job and was considering a major career shift. I was learning how to manage my anxiety and depression. It was my first year of being married and wanted to be the best partner to my husband, but didn’t know how in my mental/emotional state. I was also beginning my journey with therapy, and feeling extra vulnerable.

Boba was definitely part of a new chapter in my life and I couldn’t have made it through without him.

Boba Fett, formerly known as Daryl, at Cat Town.

I first met Boba when Cesar, my husband, surprised me with a trip to Cat Town on the first weekend of my unemployment. It was his way of cheering me up. My husband is a dog person and (mistakenly) thought he was allergic to cats. I never thought that we would ever have a cat, and yet here we were visiting a cat cafe!

We were on our way out when we decided to walk to the end of the hall to see Boba’s studio. On the top of the highest shelf was this beautiful, black cat with huge eyes, staring at us, bobbing his head at us with curiosity. I had to go in! We listened to his story and understood the severity of his interactions with humans that led to biting or scratching or trying to escape. After a decent second visit, and talking to Andrew (a Cat Town employee), we all thought that he just needed a chance to be in a bigger space where he could learn to be around people. Cesar and I decided to adopt with the support of Cat Town.

Boba at home.

Ensuring that Boba felt comfortable and had a consistent play and feeding routine allowed me to focus on him and not on all the worries in my life. And on the days where I was looking for work, felt down, and was working on rebuilding myself, he was there as a companion. I remember mornings where I did not want to get up because of my depression, but he meowed me out of my bed and into the kitchen to feed or play with him. Other mornings he would jump in our bed and lay on me to cuddle. He definitely lifted my spirits in a time where I had very little hope, and made me laugh with his silly antics. 

In the end, we needed each other to survive a difficult time in our lives, and through it all became a family.

—Jackie M.

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Thank you for allowing Cat Town to take chances on cats like Boba. If you’re looking for your own feisty feline (or perhaps a laid back senior, or a timid kitten) let us know by emailing info@cattownoakland.org. We’d love to help pair you with the cat of your dreams — because every family deserves a cat!

Dr. Bruce's Prescription for the Perfect Work-Life Balance

Bruce’s story was written by an adopter with a severe case of "corporatitis," and chronicles the efforts of her Cat Town cat, Bruce, to help cure her. What she doesn't say is that, at the Oakland shelter, Bruce was so stressed out by being in a cage that he bit somebody. He was on bite quarantine when Cat Town decided to take a chance on him, but as soon as we got him out of his cage, he transformed into a super-snuggly boy who made friends with everyone he met.

By Brit Dionne

Dear Humans,

My name is Bruce, and I am a cat. While my fellow felines spend their days lazing around and looking cute, I am doing lifesaving work. In fact, I’m in the process of saving one life in particular: my mom’s.

Looking at her, you’d never know she suffers from a common and insidious affliction: Corporatitis. Humans develop it when they spend too much time in a corporate work environment, trapped under the harsh glow of fluorescent lights and subjected to soul-crushing daily commutes. Symptoms include stress, exhaustion, and occasional fits of crying and maniacal laughter. I couldn’t stand to see my loving human suffer this way. So, since adopting her this summer, I’ve made it my mission to counteract the effects of Corporatitis.

My treatment plan is rigorous and built around a program of aggressive snuggling. Because my mom also suffers from untreated Busybody Syndrome and has a hard time sitting still, I’ve found that full body snuggles are my most effective method. Simply petting my impossibly soft black fur isn’t always enough to calm her down. If I place myself on her lap—or even better, her chest—she’ll often submit to 20 minutes of snuggling at a time. I conduct an abbreviated snuggle session in the morning before she gets up, greet her at the door for a snuggle when she arrives home, then complete her daily treatment with dramatic purring while I sit about an inch from her face. My initial research shows that, in each case, she experiences a significant reduction in stress.

There is also a more active component to my treatment program. This is because if left unsupervised, my mom would likely stay inside all day—despite the fact that we have a lovely walled patio and a yard filled with plants. Several times a week, I have her leash me up in a harness so I can take her for a walk. It’s also a convenient way for me to check on my plant friends by meticulously sniffing each and every one. I walk my mom slowly, pausing often so she can take the time to enjoy just being outside in the sun and breeze. Time for us to just be and not do. Time to remember that she is a Human Being—not a Human Doing.

And finally, because no human is an island, I’ve rounded out my treatment program by enlisting help in the form of my dad, who is a confirmed Dog Person. However, by demonstrating that I will come when called and that I am both wildly affectionate and chill, I have inspired him to declare that I am, in fact, a dog in a cat’s body. Outcome: I have won him over unequivocally, which only improves my chances of creating overall harmony at home.

My prescription to all humans: If you are suffering on any level, I recommend you seek the care of an adorable, loving fur baby—stat!

Meow,

Dr. Bruce the Cat

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This story was originally submitted as part of the 2018 Petco Foundation’s Holiday Wishes Campaign and helped Cat Town earn a $50,000 grant. Now you can help us secure an addition $25,000 by voting in the People’s Choice campaign! There are TWO easy ways you can help us win! Each only takes about one minute of your time.

1. Vote! Just visit https://woobox.com/aogufx, scroll to Cat Town, and click on Bruce’s story. Make sure you’re logged into Facebook, and vote. You’ll need to share your name and email address, and can only vote for one story.

2. Share! Even if you don't have a Facebook account, perhaps you know a cat lover who would vote for us to win? We would be so grateful if you'd share this post with them.

Thanks for helping cats like Bruce make it home!

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Catching Up with Cat Town Alum: Valentino

As Black Cat Awareness month comes to a close, we’re catching up with Cat Town alum Valentino, a special senior black cat brimming with personality. His journey demonstrates the truth of Cat Town’s unofficial motto that love + time = magic.

Valentino arrived at Cat Town in the summer of 2017 with his sister, Nefertiti, after their previous owner passed away. Being senior cats, the upheaval in their routines was a stressful period and Nefertiti sadly passed away a few months after their arrival. In such a short period of time Valentino’s life had been turned upside down.

Meanwhile, Tavi was considering adopting and Valentino’s profile caught her eye. “When we first went to his foster home, his foster mom warned us he would probably hide or keep his distance,” Tavi says. “She gave us some of his favorite treats to offer to him, and he came over to us tentatively, but stayed with us our entire visit. He even played with us! I think the moment he came over for treats we knew we wanted to adopt him.”

For the first few weeks in his new home Valentino hid like many cats do in a new space. “Once he became more adjusted, his loving and charming personality really began to show,” says Tavi. “Valentino is so sweet; I can’t imagine anyone not falling in love with him. We still have to be very patient with him. He still gets scared and hides sometimes, but it’s absolutely an incredibly worthwhile process.” Tavi’s grateful to Cat Town for giving Valentino a second chance when other organizations might cast him aside. “Every cat deserves to live in a loving and patient home.”

“The effort you put in will be nothing compared to the love your cat will give you! In the end, cats want a loving and safe home just like any of us.”

As is the case with so many of our cats, Valentino has continued to make progress in his home. It’s because of open-hearted adopters like Tavi that we’re able to take on vulnerable shelter cats in the first place. Since bringing him home, Tavi has made sure Valentino knows he’s part of the family, creating a welcoming and patient environment. Despite his initial fear, she’s found Valentino to be a very social cat at heart, one who loves to sit in a window nearby while she’s working, or makes sure he finds a place at her feet during meals. He’s especially fond of music — when Tavi turns on the tunes, she can almost guarantee Valentino will start rolling around, happy as can be.

For anyone considering adopting a friend from Cat Town who is a little more shy or under-socialized than an average cat, Tavi recommends patience. “I think you have to do research and make sure you really understand what it means to adopt an under-socialized cat,” she says. “Then it takes patience and love. If the cat is misbehaving or acting up, it’s not to spite you, it’s usually because something made them afraid or reminded them of past trauma … I know it can be daunting, but the effort you put in will be nothing compared to the love your cat will give you! In the end, cats want a loving and safe home just like any of us. I don’t think that’s a lot to ask for.”

You can be part of the Cat Town magic and foster or adopt a black cat or a senior cat in need. Send us an email at info@cattownoakland.org to learn more.

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The Best Zeppelin Ride Ever

By Scott Weston

One of the last things my brother Eric shared with his whole family before he passed was an extended ride around the Bay Area in a Zeppelin. 6 1/2 years later, a few months after my 17 year old cat Shadow crossed over, we heard of a foster in need. Already familiar with Cat Town and not yet ready for a new cat, this cat's need for a safe place seemed too important to pass up.

Zeppelin at the shelter before heading to our home.

Enter Zeppelin....what are the odds of that? Zeppy had a tough time before we came along — a black cat, declawed, given up at some point, in the shelter for an extended period and tagged as a biter. He had issues with trust and developed a way to defend himself.

Other than a pocket door for the bathroom, our building has no interior divisions. Once out of the carrier, Zeppy had the run of 3 floors. He hid in the shop and under the bed at first but made himself comfortable pretty quickly. My wife, Petra and I, being retired, are around the house most of the time and it wasn't long before we realized Zeppy was usually pretty nearby.

After several weeks of us all getting used to each other I said to Petra that since welcoming Zeppy into our home, making him feel happy and safe, I just couldn't imagine putting him back in a carrier and sending him off, like we were fooling him all along. So we adopted him ourselves!

It's been just over 2 years since Zeppy got here and he gets more love and attention each day. We've all settled into our daily routines — he used to get me up by 7am for breakfast, now I wake up on my own. Mornings are with me, on my lap in my chair, getting brushed. At night he climbs on Petra's chest and purrs and purrs. He loves to come running upstairs, jump on the bed, walk across me right up to Petra...a quick sniff, jump down, run back downstairs...just to check on us! And though Zeppy’s not a fan of other cats, he does have a step-brother, Jack the turtle.

Jack and Zeppy exploring the house.

We feel the spirit of our old cat, Shadow, often. She's happy with Zeppy here and we're happy, too! We’re so grateful for Cat Town, bringing happy families like ours together.

This piece was originally submitted as part of the Petco Foundation Holiday Wishes campaign.

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