Collaboration with Oakland Animal Services
Through an exciting partnership with Oakland Animal Services (OAS), Oakland's municipal shelter, Cat Town provides a haven to undersocialized, shy or older cats, or cats with special needs, who have no other placement options. By taking in cats too stressed in the shelter environment, Cat Town helps reduce euthanasia of homeless cats when OAS needs it most.
OAS' operations have been severely affected by the city's ongoing budget crisis, and the influx of displaced animals during this economic downturn. For OAS, these issues cause over-crowding, staff cuts and a drastic reduction in the number of hours the shelter is open to the public. It has also significantly increased the need for help in placing shy, stressed animals.
Many cats are traumatized by the shelter environment, becoming severely depressed or difficult to handle. With plenty of cats to choose from who display more ideal behavior, shy or stressed cats may not be considered eligible for adoption and typically sit for long periods of time, increasing their stress and possible euthanasia. Cat who are older and/or have medical needs are also often at greater risk of being euthanized. For cats who are socialized, or who need some additional socializing to become adoptable, the mission of Cat Town is to be a sanctuary and advocate for shelter cats who just need a calmer environment to thrive, where they can show their true personalities and find the loving homes they deserve.
Cat Town is also an advocate for feral cats who are killed at alarming rates in municipal shelters. We operate a garden/barn cat program to find safe outdoor homes for feral cats, and are determined to find other ways to reduce (or eliminate!) the number of feral cats killed in the shelter each year.