CAT TOWN BLOG
KITTEN WIRE: LETTING OUR CATS SET THE PACE
As I stood in the Quiet Zone this past week, I, a fellow staff member, and one of our volunteers watched in delight as Ogden accepted minutes long pets.
"It's amazing how much progress he's made! Now all he has to do is show his sister!"
That sister is Odessa, a notoriously hissy kitten who likes to hide out in the City Hall building. An outsider might find it hard to believe that she and her brother have had largely the same experience at Cat Town and before that at the shelter.
December 2017 Adoptions
The final month of 2017 was another happy one at Cat Town. We were ecstatic to see so many cats head home for the holidays! Buzz and Duke, who were untouchable at the shelter, transformed in our Studios and both found their families. And Didi, who went through 4 surgeries while at Cat Town, was adopted just in time to ring in the new year.
2018 is already off to a great start and we can't wait to connect more families in the coming months. If you're looking to adopt, email us at info@cattownoakland.org and check out our full list of available cats.
AS LONG AS IT TAKES
For most rescue organizations, one of the primary factors for helping a cat is “length of stay.” The longer an animal is in your care, the more costly it is to save them. Helping animals quickly is one approach to supporting an overcrowded shelter, but if that’s the only tool in the toolbox, cats like Trevor become a sad statistic. There are many cats like him out there, so we use a different approach.
WE KNEW WE HAD TO TRY: Giving Didi a Second Chance
Yesterday I told the Oakland shelter’s only vet, Dr. Jen Dalmasso, that Cat Town was ready to help another cat. Without hesitation she replied, “let’s go to the exam room.” She has more than 400 animals to look after, but Dr. Jen will drop everything to help Cat Town save the cats most in need. She knows no one else will take them.
WITH BUDDY, CAT TOWN IS IN IT FOR LIFE
Buddy was already showing his old age when someone took him in as a stray, but after six months, his new person realized she simply couldn’t keep up with his growing medical bills. When she brought Buddy to the Oakland shelter, he was skinny, and and sickly. Cat Town took him to the vet as soon as we could. As we suspected, he had mild kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, which is why he was so thin. He may have lymphoma as well. He needed bloodwork, a heavy duty shot of antibiotics, and fluids, but was still as sweet as can be through it all.
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.