Cat Town

Cat Town is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Oakland, California that specializes in rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming the city shelter’s most vulnerable cats — seniors, medical cases, shy or stressed animals, and other cats who often get overlooked. The organization operates a cage-free Adoption Center (the country’s first cat-cafe-style adoption space) and a large foster network to provide the time, medical care, and socialization these animals need to become adoptable. In recent years Cat Town has sustained very high lifesaving outcomes (annual live-outcome rates consistently above 97% in 2023–2025) while absorbing an increasing share of medically complex cases; in 2024 the organization reported that roughly 41% of cats taken from the municipal shelter required veterinary care beyond routine shelter services. Cat Town works closely with Oakland Animal Services and runs programs (including post-adoption support and lifetime-return policies) intended to keep cats safe long-term and reduce shelter intake and euthanasia rates.