CAT ADOPTION TEAM

CAT’s nationally recognized foster program provides care for underage kittens and mother cats, as well as adult cats and kittens recovering from illness or injury or in need of socialization support. Each year, more than 200 volunteer foster families give hundreds of felines a safe, caring place to start their lives. Without these temporary homes, many of these kittens and cats would not survive. In addition, foster placement frees up space at the shelter, allowing CAT to save more lives.

Trained foster volunteers provide in-home care for days to months, with the support of an experienced foster mentor. Foster families socialize kittens, monitor their health, ensure that the kittens receive vaccines, take photos for online profiles, and once the kittens are old enough, schedule their spay/neuter surgeries and introduce them to potential adopters. Foster homes are also used for short-term care and treatment for felines who need medical or behavioral support to prepare for adoption.

One of CAT's core values is to provide excellent medical care to the cats and kittens we serve. Our shelter includes an on-site veterinary hospital. The hospital includes a surgical suite, x-ray and laboratory services, private exam room, and isolation wards to care for cats with infectious diseases. CAT's medical team, consisting of veterinarians, certified vet technicians, and other trained personnel, performs surgeries and procedures beyond routine medical care, including fracture repairs, urinary blockage corrections, and eye surgeries. The team routinely treats cats for upper respiratory infections and ringworm, two conditions that can lead to euthanasia at overcrowded public shelters.

To help reduce the number of homeless animals in our community, we ensure that all shelter cats and kittens are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. CAT also provides low-cost spay and neuter services for cats whose owners are struggling financially. Our clinic performs between 800-1,000 low-cost surgeries for owned cats each year.

Cat Adoption Team seeks out and cultivates partnerships with other shelters and organizations to transfer at-risk cats and kittens into our shelter. Our transfer partners include organizations in the Portland metro area, as well as others throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. As our local and regional communities increase their lifesaving, we’re able to assist communities from outside these areas to have a positive impact for cats nationwide.

The Nine Lives Transfer program reduces feline euthanasia rates by transferring at-risk cats and kittens to CAT’s shelter for adoption. About 80-85 percent of the cats and kitten for adoption from CAT came from other shelters, rescue organizations, and veterinary clinics, including local county animal control services. When possible, CAT also takes in kittens and cats who are relinquished by their owner or are found in Clackamas County as a stray.

More than 500 volunteers are part of a CAT community that works every day to help homeless cats and kittens. CAT volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and contribute their time, skills, and talents in areas as varied as socializing cats one-on-one to raising awareness at outreach events. They are adolescents, senior citizens, and all ages in between. They make new friends, learn new skills, and are an essential component to CAT’s ability to save lives.

CAT also operates several offsite adoption centers in pet supply partner stores. Most of these locations rely on volunteers to provide daily cat care, transport cats to and from the shelter, and serve as adoption counselors.

Cat Adoption Team operates a thrift store in the Raleigh Hills neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. The CAT Thrift Store (catthriftstore.org) collects and sells new and gently used items donated by individuals and businesses. The proceeds from all sales go to support Cat Adoption Team. The Thrift Store also raises awareness about CAT, houses special-needs cats for adoption, and hosts and participates in community events to engage the public with our organization.

The CAT Helpline offers resources and advice to help cat owners and others who are struggling with a feline behavior or health problem or trying to rehome a cat. By connecting with these individuals by phone and email, the CAT Helpline staff and volunteers offer support and information with the goal of keeping cats in their homes and out of shelters whenever possible. Through our small "Keeping Cats in Homes" fund, we are able to assist in some circumstances where a one-time financial contribution would help a pet parent care for and keep their pet cat. In circumstances where it remains necessary for the cat or kitten to be rehomed, Helpline counselors can also guide individuals in finding a new home for their cat or assist them with our admissions process.

Cat Adoption Team is honored to help local cat owners feed their beloved feline companions. Currently, we partner with Washington County Meals on Wheels to provide free cat food to home-bound clients and senior citizens on fixed income. The Cat Food Bank relies heavily on donations of new, unopened cat food that is distributed on a monthly basis.