CAT TOWN BLOG
Love + Time = Magic
When our beloved kitty passed away last year at 14, we were heartbroken and our home felt empty. We'd already had the best cat companion ever, and could never replace her. But when we heard about a local rescue group needing foster homes, we felt that fostering wouldn’t betray her memory.
Cat Town’s Foster Coordinator told us about a cat at the shelter who was really struggling. “What's his name?” we asked. "Well, the volunteers call him 'sad tabby''. That was all we needed to hear. We nervously agreed to foster and along came sad tabby, now known as Briggs, straight from the shelter. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
KITTEN WIRE: MEET THREE REGAL GALS UP FOR ADOPTION
OAKLAND — There's Summer with her tabby stripes and a bib of white fur on her chest. And Gwyn with her shiny gray coat and sugar-dipped paws. And Eloise, a fluffy girl with her signature crooked smile. These three girls are members of our Forgotten Kitten Project currently residing in foster homes.
February 2018 Adoptions
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.
KITTEN WIRE: 5 TIPS FOR BEING A CAT WHISPERER
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.
Our House is Now a Home with Elsa
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.
KITTEN WIRE: HOW WE GET FROM FEARFUL TO FRIENDLY
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.