Dream's Story

Dream spent her first few weeks at our Adoption Center hissing at anyone who came near. Photo by Erica Danger.

When Dream arrived at the shelter with her kittens, she was frozen in fear, and would hiss at anyone who got too close. She was 10 months old — too old to be a Forgotten Kitten — but she seemed open to change. When shelter volunteers approached her slowly and gently, she’d allow them to pet her. It would be an uphill battle to win her heart, but we had to take a chance at giving her a better life.

We brought her to our Adoption Center to start the long process of building up confidence and trust in people. At first, she kept up the hissy front, but over time, we saw her soften. Once she’d made enough progress in her Studio, we moved her to our free-roaming room to learn from watching other confident, friendly cats.

Dream accepted pets from trusted friends, and loved chin scratches!

There, she made new friends, and discovered her potential for leadership. She soon put herself in charge of the other cats in the room, issuing bops to anyone who didn’t respect her personal space and ensuring resources were distributed fairly to all (with a little extra for herself). She had favorite people who she let pet her, and she occasionally took other cats under her wing.

If Dream had decided not to let anyone near her, things might be different — but with the help of our volunteers, week by week, month by month, she continued to make more progress. Then, she got adopted! Her adopter tried for three months to win her over, but she was the only cat in their home, and it just wasn’t working. So, she came back to us, and got adopted again — this time to a home with another cat! However, they never got the chance to meet, because even through the bathroom door, the two quickly proved to be a rocky pairing.

Dream found her confidence — and her love for play! Photo by Teresa Wood.

Both times she returned to us, we learned more about her. She loved to play, and would spend hours chasing after toys — especially her favorite sparkly tassel wand. She liked being around other cats, but was picky about who she considered an acquaintance. She would proudly sit in the center of the room at our Adoption Center, where she was comfortable, but would hide in a new environment.

Each time she returned, our volunteers were also overjoyed to have her back in their lives. They even pooled together donations to win her the title of Mayor of Cat Town in our Summer Yard Sale, and gifted her a play rug to go home with her. We all believed Dream’s perfect family was just around the corner.

On her most recent stay with us, Dream made a special cat friend: sweet and social Padrick. The two would walk around together, play together, and cuddle together. Dream even shared her treats with him — a very special honor — so we decided to make them a pair.

Dream, Padrick, and their adopters, ready to go home!

Then, an adopter showed up, looking for a cat (or two!) who could round out the dynamic of their other cats at home — one extremely playful, one extremely shy — and we saw a perfect match for our favorite bossy girl and her second-in-command.

They had met Dream before, but this time was different. This time, she didn’t snub them, and in fact, let them pet her. Hearts melted. Tears were shed. Dream and Padrick were going home together.

Based on what we learned from her past adoptions, we knew Dream would need time and patience to settle into her new home. We supported her family with our Case Management program — and today, over two years after Dream first entered our care, we’re thrilled to share that this once terrified and hissy girl now enjoys kisses and being carried around like a baby.

“I'll never forget the first time Dream came up to me for pets without coaxing, I literally cried.”
— Dream’s adopter

Today, a generous donor is offering us a challenge to raise $5,000 by midnight, and is triple matching contributions. If you can help us reach that goal today, this match will transform your gifts into $20,000 to help more scared cats find love. We like to think that amounts to about the number of kisses Dream receives every day in her new home.

Donate now to support Cat Town’s work — and help the shelter cats, like Dream, who need us most.

Dream, Padrick, and their new brother, Memphis (another Cat Town alum), share a cat tree.

Cover photo by Erica Danger.

Summer School... in December!

Summer may be long over, but at Cat Town, Summer School is still in session!

Batik at the city shelter.

Seeing the enormous influx of cats at Oakland Animal Services earlier this year, we strategized with their staff to find a way to help the greatest number of at-risk cats and kittens. Summer School was our solution.

With this program, we began to focus on even younger kittens — still hissy and growly, but quicker to socialize and get adopted. We hoped the rush would ebb by September, but it hasn’t. The shelter still has plenty of youngsters who need our help — so we’re still running our Summer School program in December.

Summer School kittens like Denim, Velveteen, Corduroy, and Batik are barely 4 months old. When approached, they glower, growl, and huddle together, trying to stay out of reach. Because they’re not yet friendly toward humans, most rescues consider them too old to take in. At Cat Town, when kittens like them don’t have another option, we put in the time to earn their trust, so they can look forward to long, happy lives as friendly companions.

Denim, Velveteen, Corduroy, and Batik at our Adoption Center.

Our Board of Directors knows that this has been a year like no other for shelter cats and kittens, so they’ve given me one last challenge for 2022: raise at least $6,000 in the last two days of the year and they’ll match that amount, dollar for dollar. If we can secure the entire match, these funds can help up to 20 litters of frightened kittens transform into lifelong friends. Donating today gives us a strong start for the new year, so we can make a difference for the cats who need us most.

Your donations help Cat Town focus on cats and kittens with no other options. You power our work, and make each transformation possible, all year long. I look forward to sharing more success stories with you in the coming year, and hope you’ll make a gift today to give more cats a chance at their happiest, healthiest lives.

With gratitude,

Andrew Dorman
Executive Director

P.S. Denim, Velveteen, Corduroy, and Batik are already in our care — but there are many shelter cats and kittens still waiting for our help. Now through December 31, your support can go twice as far, so we can help more cats in 2023!

Laszlo is on His Way Home

The day after I first met 8-year-old Laszlo at the shelter, all the cats in his section of the shelter went into quarantine for two weeks. I couldn’t visit him, but I couldn’t get him off my mind. I’d peek in the window to his room — and he’d see me and meow with everything he had. He couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t just come in to say hi.

Laszlo at the city shelter.

It can take time to find the right foster for senior cats who need medical support — so I made it my mission to have the perfect foster ready for him the moment his quarantine was up. 

Laszlo was 20 pounds and had trouble grooming himself, so his fur was covered in dandruff. He would need someone who had time to shower him with love, and could work with us to help him lose weight at a safe pace. It took the full two weeks, but I was super excited to tell our friends at the shelter that we’d already found him a caretaker the day his quarantine ended. This senior boy was going to spend his holidays with a caring foster in a nice, cozy home!

On the car ride to his new foster, I told him what I tell each of Cat Town’s foster cats: “Laszlo, you’re going to a great place — it’s nice and quiet, no more hustle and bustle. I’m so proud of you for hanging in there, and I can’t wait to see you blossom. I love you, and you’re going to get all the attention you want from now on.” 

That first day, Laszlo laid low in his foster home. But by nightfall, this sweet boy was seeking out attention from his fosters — purring, head-butting, and rubbing against them. A few days later, he started jumping up on the couch to be near his new foster family, and even playing a little. He is so grateful. His coat is already looking healthier, and he’s even starting to lose a little weight!

Helping older cats like Laszlo is one of my favorite parts of working at Cat Town. Senior cats often need medical care before they’re ready to be adopted — and they often get depressed or upset at the shelter, despite all the wonderful work shelter staff and volunteers there do to make them more comfortable. 

We’ve been able to help more than 60 senior cats this year. We couldn’t do it without people like you — so from me, Laszlo, and the whole Cat Town team, thank you!

Warmly,

Kristin Jacques
Foster Coordinator

Poe Needs a Hero

This year, Cat Town has helped 139 scared, stressed, and undersocialized shelter cats and kittens. Before the year ends, I hope to get that number even higher, so we can help Poe.

Poe at the city shelter.

This tiny tuxedo hisses and growls whenever people approach him. But he’s not mean — he’s just telling us that he’s afraid. For anyone brave enough to push past his big, tough display, he quickly melts into a purring little muffin, desperate for reassurance and affection. I know from seeing so many scared shelter cats like him that Poe can be a great companion. I see the sweet boy under all that fear — and I’m confident that at Cat Town, Poe can let down his guard, learn to trust people, and get adopted.

I want to help Poe be the best he can be, so I’m excited that a generous donor has offered to double donations to Cat Town for the next three days, up to $10,000.

If you can help us reach our goal, the cats who need us most will have $20,000 in support — so we can purchase enrichment and socialization tools, provide them with basic medical care, and help them overcome the odds that life has stacked against them. It will mean we can help Poe.

Many local shelters are so above capacity this year they’ve stopped taking stray cats into their care. Oakland Animal Services is one of the few municipalities that hasn’t cut intake, so it’s my job to make sure Cat Town can help as many of those cats as we can.

Our team collaborates with OAS staff to identify the cats who need us most. We both agree that Poe is ready for the chance — maybe for the first time in his young life — to feel safe. Cat Town just needs the funds to help him.

I hope you’ll make a gift today, when your generosity will be stretched twice as far. Together, we can show Poe just how much we believe in him, and help Poe show everyone the wonderful friend we know he can be!

Thank you,

Dilara Göksel Parry
Program Manager

You Can Be Their Way Home

We all know how awful it can feel to be sick, stressed, or overwhelmed. This year, the number of cats arriving at Oakland’s city shelter has increased by 16% over last year, meaning more cats are in cages, scared and unsure of their future. Your support today gives us the chance to step in, and help these cats remember what it’s like to let their guards down, feel comfort, and experience joy again.

That’s why an anonymous donor has stepped up with a $5,000 challenge match — but we still need your support. Can we count on you to help us reach our goal?

Alexis Rose at the city shelter.

More cats at the city shelter means the shelter’s limited resources are stretched thinner. That means more cats who need us, like Alexis Rose — an anxious girl who doesn’t understand why she’s at the shelter after living in a home, and feels stressed by the big changes in her life.

Your donation today means we can give cats like her the gift of hope — the simple affirmation that someone cares, and although things are difficult right now, there’s promise of love, happiness, and a warm lap ahead. Best of all, for the next 48 hours, your gift will be doubled, up to $5,000, to help twice as many cats. 

Together we can make the world a little brighter for sick, stressed, and overlooked shelter cats. We hope you’ll donate today, so we can give them the chance they deserve at a better life.

When someone found KissKiss limping in the street, they got her to Oakland Animal Services. Support from donors like you helped us get this sweet senior cat to the vet and into foster care. Cat Town runs on your donations — so please consider making a gift today to support twice as many cats in need!