Who Did You Save This Year (Part 3)

In this final look back at our most memorable adoptions of 2025, we’re reminded that helping even one cat get adopted can make the world feel brighter. Helping just one life builds a connection that lasts, and has a ripple effect far beyond what we ever see.

Dilara, Belle, and Kristine share their favorite adoptions from this year — stories we haven’t told, and that stuck with us. Each cat you’ll read about has a life that was made better thanks to our community’s support. Each represents so many more cats you’ve helped us save this year, as well as the people who love them.

Thank you for being a bright spot for all of us at Cat Town. Your support gives us everything we need to step in for these cats every day of the year, no matter their needs. Thank you for being their hero, and ours, too.

DILARA’S PICK: FERGUSON

Dilara met Ferguson at Contra Costa Animal Services

One Little Orange Face

In a row of cages, a sea of faces at Contra Costa Animal Services, Ferguson’s little orange face stood out.

When I first met Ferguson, he was in a cage by himself hiding out in what is known as a “feral den”. He had come in to the county shelter as part of a multicat intake, and the shelter was handling 3 such situations at the same time — not an easy task! There were cats of all ages and stages: Ferals and house cats, neonatals and seniors, sick cats, healthy cats — to say the shelter was bursting at the seams would not be an overstatement. 

Though Ferguson was scared, he was also curious — he would pop that little orange head out to check us out, then retreat, then pop back out again. I spent some time with him that day, offering him treats and interesting him in quiet wand toys — and though I could not touch him, I believed he had good potential to be a companion cat. At only 5-6 months old, he was practically a baby, and seemed eager to connect.

I visited him one more time that week, while assessing other cats. This time, he leaned into soft petting — accompanied by treats of course. Deal was sealed! The following week, when staff went to pick him up, I got word he was very tricky to get in the carrier, and had a moment of doubt… would he be OK going the companion-cat route? But I trusted my instincts and remembered that little face, that eye contact, that will to connect... 

Ferguson found his best friend, Jupiter, at Cat Town.

Since we knew he had lived with many other cats in the past, he came to our Adoption Center. Over the next few weeks, he consistently surprised us all with big steps of progress. Within a few weeks he was enjoying “cat disneyland,” tentatively and then happily accepting petting, and playing nicely with all the cats. A big blue-grey boy named Jupiter, who had been trapped on Oakland Zoo grounds and could be testy with some of the other cats, decided that Ferguson was the absolute bee’s knees, and soon they were palling it up bigtime: wrestling, grooming each other, and cuddling. As Jupiter was pretty confident, even pushy at times, we loved how he was a role model for flighty Fergie, and Ferg accepted Jupiter’s imperfect cat skills and rolled with them. It was a match!

In relatively short order, the boys charmed their way into the hearts of wonderful adopters. Ferguson is now Gouda, Jupiter is Sherman. And just like that, they were home. Home where there’s always warm safe spaces, home where they can get veterinary care, home where they are loved for their quirky, fantastic selves.

KRISTINE’S Pick: OLAF

Olaf enjoying company during his catsit.

Olaf needed someone to feed him and keep him company during the day while his fosters were out of town. I was happy to help. 

When I met him, this handsome little black cat walked straight toward me and weaved between my legs. When I laid down on the floor, he curled up around my head, and eventually on my stomach, purring the whole time. It was clear that Olaf was a cat who desired attention and affection.

This was a beautiful transformation for this 10-year-old boy, who’d arrived at Oakland Animal Services looking skinny, unkempt, and unwell. He hissed when scared, and could have easily been ignored as a grumpy senior with a slim chance at adoption. But when shelter volunteers spent time with him, they learned that with gentle affection and patience, Olaf softened. He leaned in. He wanted connection.

Olaf’s foster home gave him peace and warmth.

Because of his age and initial medical needs, Olaf came to a Cat Town foster home for a solid chance to find his footing. By the time I met him, these changes had done their job. 

Olaf loved treats, puzzles, toys, and most of all, affection. Sometimes he was a little conflicted, and hissed when I moved through the small bathroom where his litterbox and food bowls lived (his safe spot). But almost immediately, he relaxed again. In the short days I spent time with him, watching a show on my phone while he curled in my lap, meeting his bright green eyes and steady gaze, and brushing his constantly shedding fur, I fell hard for this little boy. 

I knew that he had a few obstacles working against him: his age, fur color, and the fact that he’d turned into a major cuddlebug who wanted to be real close to company. Even with enrichment like puzzles and toys, Olaf would need a home with fulfilling companionship.

When I heard Olaf had been adopted, I was excited for someone to love on this boy, and receive his love right back. Then I heard he’d been returned because the amount of crying and attention the adopter had been warned about was more than they’d expected. With Cat Town’s “Once a Cat Town Cat, Always a Cat Town Cat” policy, Olaf came right back. And not long afterwards, he was adopted again, and is now living his best life in a cat-savvy family with another senior cat to keep him company.

Olaf found the courage to relax and connect.

At Cat Town, we believe every cat is deserving of a great life and fair chance to thrive. The idea of “worthiness” is where hope and confidence can get messier. Returns can make it feel like a cat failed an invisible test. But adoption isn’t about worthiness. It’s about compatibility. Olaf was only returned because that home wasn’t the right match for him,. He’d shown he was brave, confident, resilient, and just needed the right home to understand him. 

I’m grateful for the way Cat Town puts care into adoption counseling, and stays involved even after an adoption so a cat has their best chance in their new home. And if something doesn’t work, we’re always ready to take a cat back, no matter how long they’ve been gone. I’m grateful to the staff members who saw his potential at the city shelter, to the foster home that gave him a sunny room full of toys and care, and to the volunteers who got to know him up close.

Anyone who spends time with a senior cat at Cat Town understands that given safety, patience, and a little attention, they show you exactly who they are. I feel honored that I got to see Olaf at his brightest and most authentic self — always worthy and deserving of care and love.

BELLE’S Pick: Jade

When Jade arrived at the shelter, she was 16 years old and had been found tucked beneath a porch by a Good Samaritan who knew something wasn’t right. Jade was friendly, vocal, and eager for affection, but she was also frail. She was painfully thin, had a low appetite, and showed signs of significant dental disease. We suspected hyperthyroidism and kidney disease, and we knew she deserved far more than life as an unclaimed stray. As an elderly cat with complex medical needs, she needed Cat Town to step in. 

Even before she ever arrived at Cat Town, Jade made an impression. At Oakland Animal Services, despite feeling unwell, she leaned eagerly into pets, demanded attention from volunteers, and voiced her opinions loudly to anyone who would listen. When Jade transferred to Cat Town, she brought that same spark with her — and quickly won over everyone she met.

Jade’s foster gave her consistent care.

“Princess Jade”

Jade first spent time in a loving foster home where she was closely monitored and supported as we began to understand the full scope of her medical needs. When that foster’s schedule later required frequent travel, we looked for a foster home that could provide more consistent, hands-on care — and that’s when Jade landed with Owen and Megan.

From day one, they were completely obsessed with her. Jade became “Princess Jade,” carried around their apartment like a little baby — which, to everyone’s surprise, she absolutely loved and requested regularly. At the same time, her medical journey continued in earnest. Over the coming months, Jade was seen by multiple veterinarians for chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, anemia, recurrent urinary issues, arthritis in both knees, spinal changes likely from an old trauma, and ongoing pain management needs. She received monthly Solensia injections, monthly Adequan injections, subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics for multiple UTIs, and careful medication adjustments to balance her thyroid and kidney health.

As Cat Care Coordinator, I worked closely with Owen and Megan through every step — and they were never intimidated by Jade’s needs. Owen learned how to give subcutaneous fluids and injections so that Jade could receive consistent care at home. They celebrated small victories, like weight gain measured in tenths of a pound, and worried together through setbacks. Above all, they delighted in Jade — her increased vocalizations when she started feeling better, her bossy demands for attention, her insistence on being involved in everything.

Jade cozy with her new lifestyle.

After months of caretaking, Owen and Megan were falling in love, but their lives were about to change. Owen would be moving to Virginia for a year for work, while Megan would be traveling frequently between Oakland and the East Coast. They desperately wanted Jade in their lives, but they also worried about what would be best for her. Owen was the one comfortable administering fluids and injections, and they were concerned that keeping Jade in Oakland might mean less consistent care. At the same time, they were afraid that moving her across the country might be too risky for her health.

What struck me most was their perspective. They told me that if the right adopter came along, they would happily step aside — not because they loved Jade any less, but because they didn’t want to deprive someone else of the joy of having her in their life. It was such a generous, selfless way of thinking. I told them the truth: there are many senior cats still waiting for homes — but Jade wasn’t one of them anymore. She already had one.

Jade’s first snow day

After consulting with Jade’s internal medicine specialist, who confirmed that she could safely travel with appropriate medication and planning, Owen and Megan officially adopted Jade. This fall, she made the journey to Virginia with Owen, where her world grew to include two more devoted fans — Owen’s parents — who proudly joined the ever-expanding Jade fan club.

A few days ago, I reached out for an update. Megan shared that Jade’s health has been stable and thanked Cat Town for helping them learn how to care for her from the very beginning. She told me Jade has been the perfect addition to their little family — and sent photos of her first snow day and her favorite spot by the fire, looking exactly as a senior cat should: safe, warm, and deeply loved.

Jade’s adoption is my favorite this year not because it was easy — but because it reflects everything Cat Town stands for. Compassion that doesn’t flinch in the face of complexity. Support that extends long after adoption day. And people who choose love, patience, and responsibility — again and again.

Cover photo by Teresa Wood.