CAT TOWN BLOG
Helping Tomorrow's Older Shelter Kittens Today
Stray cats teach their kittens to survive by avoiding danger, including people. By the time their kittens are 4 months old, most rescue organizations believe it’s too late to socialize them, so many never make it out of the shelter.
At Cat Town, we give these kittens all the time they need to learn humans are safe through our Forgotten Kitten Project.
KITTEN WIRE: SIBLINGS FILL NEW HOME WITH JOY
OAKLAND, Calif. — The two kittens couldn't be more different. Aspen, a mini snow tiger with blue eyes and an easy purr, was quick to warm to people, while Leaf, a fluffy girl with faded tortoiseshell markings, trembled in the corner anytime someone approached.
From our perspective, these sisters needed each other. And we needed adopters who understood that. Then on a Friday in September, we met Tricia and Aiden, a mother-son pair who visited Cat Town for Aiden's birthday.
KITTEN WIRE: BREAKTHROUGH ALERT - MERLIN
OAKLAND, Calif. — Let's not sugar coat things: Some cats takes months to warm up to humans after they are first rescued off the street or freed from a shelter cage. That's because cats who don't get positive human interactions in their early weeks are often terrified of people.
So when these cats and kittens arrive at Cat Town — and are exposed to people on a regular basis — it can take many weeks of strategic interactions with specially trained volunteers and staff before they relax and begin to enjoy their new human companions.
Then sometimes a cat comes along and defies expectations. That's the case with Merlin.
KITTEN WIRE: MEET ALASKA, THE CAT WHO TWIRLS FOR TREATS
OAKLAND, Calif. — It's a common myth: Cats can't be trained. Same with: Some cats just don't like people and will never be "adoptable."
Alaska is a cat who proves false both of those common misconceptions. This former under socialized cat who cowered in the corner is part of the welcome wagon for visitors at Cat Town's main adoption center. And that's not all: She does tricks. This girl can sit, beg, twirl and even give high-fives!
KITTEN WIRE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF A CAT NAMED TOFU
OAKLAND, Calif. — Under a pile of shy and stressed kittens, a little ball of black fur tried to make himself invisible. "He was just so tiny," Angela, a cat-care attendant, recalled.
That mini-panther got the unlikely name of Tofu. And on July 19, he began a journey from forgotten kitten — hissy and untouchable — to sweet companion, ready to find his people.
KITTEN WIRE: TRANSFORMATION TAKES TIME
OAKLAND, Calif. — From cowering to confident —that's what we aim for in the Forgotten Kitten Project.
Working with under-socialized kittens takes time. Some move more quickly than others, but what we know for sure is that time is a vital resource in their development, and one most shelters just don't have. Staff and volunteers at Cat Town work closely with our youngest residents, tracking every inch of progress along the way before they're ready to be adopted.