Volunteers of the Month: Jen and Matt
We couldn't help hundreds of cats each year without the dedication of our fosters and volunteers. This month, we wanted to highlight two of those incredible people - Jen and Matt - who in 2016 alone, fostered, volunteered, and adopted!
Early in 2016, Jen and Matt took in Ben, a cat who was full of personality, but had been diagnosed with FIV and FeLV (feline Leukemia). In need of a space outside the shelter, Jen and Matt opened their door and began fostering. It didn't take long for them to fall in love and make him a permanent member of the family.
Ben's favorite way to be held - like a baby!
Going into the adoption, they knew Ben had a short life expectancy, but wanted to give him a loving home for as long as they had with him. Ben was in Jen and Matt's care for about 7 months before his passing. Having previously spent his life on the streets, those seven months had to be some of the happiest of his life.
In the fall, Jen and Matt decided they were ready to open up their home to another foster. Having volunteered in our transition space at Cat Town, they'd fallen in love with another FIV+ cat named Lowell, who was looking for temporary housing while healing from and upper respiratory infection. So off he went, and by the 1st of December, Jen and Matt knew they couldn't let him go.
Lowell poses for the camera, leaving Matt to do all the work.
With only one month left in the year, Jen and Matt were still eager to invite another foster into their home. Puck is one of the more challenging cats we've helped. When we first met him at the shelter, any attempt at pets was met with aggressive swatting. He needed a special, understanding kind of foster, and Jen and Matt were up to the task!
When Puck made it to their home, he and Lowell hit it off almost right away, and for the third time in 2016, Jen and Matt decided they couldn't let their foster cat get away - Puck was home for good!
Jen and Puck enjoy some petting time, while Lowell relaxes with Matt.
Jen and Matt's capacity to open their home and hearts to some of our neediest cats has been such a gift! We are so moved by their compassion and dedication to our mission.
Puck and Lowell, comfy and cozy in their home.
Cat Town Expansion: Update 3/7/2017
Construction is underway at Cat Town, and we're getting pretty excited for the expansion of our adoption center! It's just bare bones at this point, but the internal structures of the enclosures have been put in place.
Each enclosure will be small enough to provide under socialized or stressed cats a safe, navigable space, but expand between enclosures to provide energetic, active cats a space to play and explore!
Stay tuned for more updates as we move forward with our construction, and more information on what this expansion will provide for Oakland's at-risk shelter cats.
Giving Black Cats the Chance They Deserve
Many people know that black cats can have a hard time being adopted, especially at the shelter. On top of that, the stress of the environment can cause cats like Francis, Jasper, and Miranda, to react by biting, despite being otherwise sweet cats.
If a cat does bite at the shelter, they go into quarantine for 10 days, and have little chance of getting out after the fact. Knowing that a stressed cat’s reaction to the shelter is usually not indicative of their personalities, we’re dedicated to helping those cats get out of the cage and into our free range spaces at Cat Town. We want to show that these cats are not dangerous, but just stressed by a chaotic, unnerving situation, and give them the chance they deserve.
After becoming overstimulated, both Jasper and Francis reacted by biting, and Miranda was on the verge of also biting someone. Our trained staff knew this meant all three were destined for Cat Town.
Jasper enjoying all the comforts of his Cat Town Foster Home
Once they had the time to de-stress in their respective foster homes, all three of these cats found their new families! Francis was adopted by his foster, who realized she couldn’t imagine parting ways with him. Jasper and Miranda both showed themselves to be loving companions in their temporary homes, and when introduced, charmed the pants off each of their adopters.
That’s what we like to call a Cat Town happy ending!
Francis, in his temporary turned permanent home!
With each adoption, we’re able to move another at-risk cat from the shelter to Cat Town. Thanks to our supporters, volunteers, fosters, and adopters, we’re saving more lives.
Miranda gives her adopter's paperwork one final look over before going home.
If you’d like to adopt, be sure to check out all our current cats and email info@cattownoakland.org with any inquiries.
Cat Town Foster Cat Artwork
Cat Town foster cats are often in need of a space outside the shelter where they can take their time to reveal their personalities, and get comfortable with human interactions. Thanks to our kind foster families, we're able to give them a comfortable space where they can reveal their true personalities and build positive relationships with humans.
To help highlight our longer term foster cats, we've put together a small, ongoing art show, on display at the Cat Town Cafe. These original works of art have been generously donated by the artists and will go home with the cats when they get adopted.
Click through the photos below to read the full bios of the cat muses, and learn more about adopting. And if you or someone you know is interested in donating a piece, please reach out to info@cattownoakland.org.
