Every Cat is Family
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…
“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.”
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
Cat Town is a Lifeline for Seniors Like Tony
Most senior cats who find themselves in a shelter cage share some variation of the same story.
One day, their person dies. They lose the only friend they’ve ever known — and now that they’re older, nobody wants to care for them. The city shelter steps in to keep them from becoming homeless, but with so few resources, the shelter can’t make up for the loss of the cat's family, their home, and even the little comforts in life — a window to look out of, a bed, a favorite toy.
It takes an exceptional cat, like Tony, to rise above these circumstances.
By Marie Carney
Most senior cats who find themselves in a shelter cage share some variation of the same story.
One day, their person dies. They lose the only friend they’ve ever known — and now that they’re older, nobody wants to care for them. The city shelter steps in to keep them from becoming homeless, but with so few resources, the shelter can’t make up for the loss of the cat's family, their home, and even the little comforts in life — a window to look out of, a bed, a favorite toy.
It takes an exceptional cat, like Tony, to rise above these circumstances.
In his shelter cage, Tony would stand up to greet visitors, leaning in to rub faces with a big purr. Tony is 10 years old, and in spite of a painful ear infection and bad cold, he never lost hope that someone would come close enough to cuddle! The Oakland shelter asked three different rescue organizations to help Tony, but they each turned him away.
Cat Town got him into a foster home, where he immediately wanted to play and explore. He’s doing great on his antibiotics, and as soon as we can, we’re getting him ear surgery. This is the part of my job that I love. Tony’s ailments are easy to fix — just costly.
I’m writing because we don’t always have enough donations on hand to help cats with needs like Tony’s. This mega match can help change that— but we only have 48-hours to meet our goal.
Please make a donation today, so Cat Town can help the shelter’s next sick senior cat get the help they need!
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A scraggly, FIV+ cat just asking to be loved
Eddie came to us as a shabby foster cat. He had a gum infection that made it painful for him to groom, and because of his FIV, and the severity of his condition, it was going to take a while to get him back into good health. Over the next several months Cat Town helped us cycle through medication, vet visits, and teeth removals until Eddie was out of pain. It took removing all but his last two teeth before he showed improvement, but after months of medical care and, I'd like to think, our boundless love for Eddie, he finally stabilized.
By Cynthia Armour
Eddie came to us as a shabby foster cat. He had a gum infection that made it painful for him to groom, and because of his FIV, and the severity of his condition, it was going to take a while to get him back into good health. Over the next several months Cat Town helped us cycle through medication, vet visits, and teeth removals until Eddie was out of pain. It took removing all but his last two teeth before he showed improvement, but after months of medical care and, I'd like to think, our boundless love for Eddie, he finally stabilized.
That's when Dawn, Cat Town’s Foster Coordinator, started trying to schedule a time for potential adopters to meet Eddie. This did not please me, which became evident after I was routinely "unavailable" to arrange visits.
Kyle and I eventually gathered up the courage to tell Dawn that, well, Eddie had become an important part of our lives, and that we couldn't imagine parting ways with him, but we were worried about the financial impact of taking on a cat with FIV.
I had just quit my job to pursue my graduate degree and we knew that significant vet bills were likely to be part of the deal with Eddie. I didn't want our financial insecurity to affect our decisions when it came to Eddie's health.
When Dawn said that Eddie could benefit from Cat Town's In It for Life program... I honestly couldn't believe it. The generosity and all-around thoughtfulness that Cat Town's wonderful representatives show in how they deal with their cats, fosters, and potential adopters is unlike anything I've ever encountered in any other animal care organization.
One year ago, we adopted Eddie from Cat Town. A year later, his two teeth are still doing great!
Eddie has been healthy since he became an official part of our family, and has somehow become even more loving. Seriously — in all my years of fostering I've never met a better cat-cuddler. He's a greeter, a watcher, a follower, a player, a dedicated purrer, a bathtub meower (that's less fun), a foot warmer... everything I could ask for and more. He traveled with us to Oregon for Christmas, he stayed in a trailer with us in Healdsburg, moved to Sacramento with me for the summer (and caught two mice! With just his two teeth!), has met quite a few dogs he didn't care about, and has never, ever forgotten to remind us about his meal time.
Kyle and I are so thankful to Cat Town for bringing us together, and to Eddie for being such a lovely, adoring little big cat.
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Meet Our Mission Cats
When we scan the Oakland shelter for cats who are struggling, we meet cats of all ages, recently surrendered and scared of their new environment: from senior cats desperate for the calm and comfort of a home to Forgotten Kittens, at risk of becoming more feral every day without dedicated human interaction. We’ve met every kind of vulnerable cat, but their needs have never been a deterrent for us. “Unadoptable” is not in the Cat Town vocabulary, and thanks to your support, we’re taking that mindset nationwide.
The cats who make their way to Cat Town — the cats most in need of help — are what we call “mission cats.” So today, we want to introduce you to some of the “mission cats” you have saved with your donations. Thank you for giving these cats the second chance they deserve.
When we scan the Oakland shelter for cats who are struggling, we meet cats of all ages, recently surrendered and scared of their new environment: from senior cats desperate for the calm and comfort of a home to Forgotten Kittens, at risk of becoming more feral every day without dedicated human interaction. We’ve met every kind of vulnerable cat, but their needs have never been a deterrent for us. “Unadoptable” is not in the Cat Town vocabulary, and thanks to your support, we’re taking that mindset nationwide.
The cats who make their way to Cat Town — the cats most in need of help — are what we call “mission cats.” So today, we want to introduce you to some of the “mission cats” you have saved with your donations. Thank you for giving these cats the second chance they deserve.
FIV+ CATS
Cassie never lets her FIV+ status get in the way of living life to the fullest!
Honey is a huge fan of ribbon time!
In the old days, being FIV+ was a death sentence for shelter cats. But minds are changing about FIV, and so are opportunities for adoption. FIV+ cats have no problem living with non-FIV+ cats, and as long as they stay indoors to prevent health issues and the potential spread of infection, they can live a long and happy life.
Honey and Cassie, 2 of our current FIV+ cats, are both playful, sweet, and affectionate. We know they’ll make great companions to their future families.
BLACK CATS
Stella loves getting up high for a view of the Cat Zone.
You might have seen our recent blog series debunking myths about black cats, but believe it or not, those myths still persist. Black cats often have trouble getting adopted, but as anyone who’s met a black cat can attest, they come equipped with unique personalities, each one different than the last.
We have a number of black cats in our care, ready to find their special someone this holiday season.
SENIOR CATS
Even at 15-years-old, Nancy knows how to enjoy life and get silly from time to time.
Senior Buddy getting in some pets with volunteer, Shelly.
Arriving at the shelter can be stressful for any cat, but seniors often experience heightened health risks due to shelter stress. Plus, seniors are most likely to end up at the shelter after living with the same guardian for years, making the sudden change particularly jarring. That’s why we’re dedicated to getting them out of cages and into comfortable foster homes before being adopted. And with our In It For Life program, medical costs for seniors are covered by Cat Town, eliminating that monetary concern for potential adopters.
Senior cats like Buddy and Nancy, are companionable and looking for calm, compassionate caregivers. Maybe it’s you!
MEDICAL CASES
Despite health challenges, Didi never loses her loving personalty.
One of the greatest asks we make of our supporters is for cats in need of medical care. With limited resources at the shelter, cats who have complicated health problems or injuries might not otherwise have an opportunity to be adopted. But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve that chance.
With your help, cats like Didi have received extensive medical treatment on their journey to adoption.
FORGOTTEN KITTENS (or FKPs)
When young kittens arrive at the shelter, they often grow up with limited or no human interaction. So we started our Forgotten Kitten Project to give older shelter kittens a second chance at life. With dedicated socialization from our staff and volunteers, these kittens learn to trust humans and build positive relationships before being adopted. Plus, with our free -roaming adoption center, Forgotten Kittens learn positive behavior from our more confident cats.
Tiger (left) and Fawn curl up with their friend, Buzz, just out of frame.
Tiger and Fawn came to Cat Town fearful of people, but have been making great progress and have started accepting pets! With the addition of Buzz, an older, confident cat to their studio space, they’ve been progressing even more quickly.
These are just some of the cats who depend on your support. We are so lucky to do what we do and look forward to sharing our mission with other organizations across the nation. Thank you for making Cat Town’s work a possibility.
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