The late winter months tend to be some of the quietest in the shelter and rescue world, so we were especially excited to send home 27 cats in February alone—that's nearly a cat a day! We had a number of foster fails including Michaelena, Stallone, and Nadine. And bonded pairs Greybeard & Shadow and Martini & Leona found the families they'd been waiting for.
OAKLAND — Calling all cat whisperers: Roughly one dozen members of the Forgotten Kitten Project are taking up residence in at Cat Town's main Adoption Center. This means you can be part of their success story, helping them build confidence and bond with humans when you come in to visit.
But it takes some technique and patience. Since these kittens didn't get enough positive human interactions in their formative early months (why we call them forgotten kittens!), they are now still learning to trust humans as they enter their teens. So, we put together some tips for you, our partners in cat socialization, to help these former shelter cats blossom into the purrrrrfect companions.
Check out these tips for becoming a cat whisperer to our Forgotten Kittens.
When Elsa arrived at Cat Town, she wanted nothing to do with people and even less to do with other cats. She tucked herself into corners and did her best impression of a turtle, retracting her head any time a hand came near. My fellow volunteers and I worked to soften her, but had little success.
A few weeks into her stay, my boyfriend, Elliot and I stopped by. We both agreed that something about Elsa’s lack of interest made her all the more lovable. Elliot reached into the cubby where Elsa was hiding to let her sniff his hand, and for the first time, she did. We didn’t know it then, but our fates were sealed in that tiny moment.
OAKLAND — It usually starts with some stinky food.
When the shy, stressed or sick young rescues arrive at Cat Town, we turn to proven techniques and time-tested tools — like extra funky food treats — to begin the socialization process. Then there's the way we talk to the cats. How we walk in a room. How we introduce toys. And the way we document each step so dozens of volunteers and the staff who care for them understands their medical and social progress.
Some of the most important work done at Cat Town happens behind the scenes with the special group of volunteers in our foster program. These wonderful people welcome a Cat Town cat (or two!) into their home while the cat waits to be adopted. Often times under socialized or senior cats simply need a place where they can destress. As anyone who has fostered a cat can tell you, sometimes the work is slow but ultimately extremely rewarding.
