Northstate Cat Coalition

02/20/2025

River is still looking for his forever home! Pleased share the original post, to help him find it. He is a lovebug!

02/16/2025

One of the things I love about the Northstate Cat Coalition is that we do not sit on our laurels. As one of the very few feral-focused rescues in the north state, we strive to create an atmosphere of equality among felines.

We are all-inclusive: though our focus is TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return or Rehome), we have come across and saved many special-needs friendly cats in medical crises. When we have eyes on and hands on, it’s game on!

Though for a few, sadly the only kind outcome was to set them free through gentle euthanasia, we celebrate our successes, and strive to always create a better future for all cats.

Because we are lacking in volunteer foster homes, space currently is very limited. We cannot take in all the cats that we are contacted about. The total number of felines in our care, both in foster and on the streets, is about 300. 

So we need your help! Here are several ways you can get involved and help us help the felines:

• Foster homes: Ask us about becoming a foster home — we have many opportunities.

• Sponsorship of a cat in need:
Medical bills & supplies — including medications, specialized food, kitten supplies (including milk replacer), feeding syringes/Miracle-style (cone-shaped) ni***es, traps and carriers, pellet litter (we use wood-stove pellets) — and cleaning supplies, including bleach and Rescue.

• Non-Medical transporter: We are constantly full, so we do try to transfer as many friendly cats and kittens as we can kitties out of our care to our reliable shelter partners and foster homes. This enables us to keep going and help more kitties.

• Medical transport: Drop-off and pick-up of cats getting spayed/neutered.

• Food: Help us keep the kitties’ bellies full! We are ALWAYS in desperate need of food donations to feed the 300 cats in our care.

Your support is what keeps us going. Thank you, friends, for helping us help the kitties of Far NorCal. 😻

Donate here: linktr.ee/northstatecatcoalition

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine’s Day🥰

We have lots and lots of lovely kitties sending their love. If you would like to give our cats a special valentine, please consider a lovable donation of food via Amazon, Chewy or a Costco gift card. 

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Please help feed us
We thank you😻

linktr.ee/northstatecatcoalition

02/14/2025

I shared information about the microchips a few days ago. This is much more detailed.

The closure of a pet microchip company sparks confusion, but AAHA's microchip registry lookup tool can help.

02/11/2025

Romeo was highly concerned for River today at his check up. River is doing well, just managing his thyroid condition.

02/09/2025

Our very special and dear River is, with eager anticipation, looking forward to his meet and greet today with his potential new humans❤️

02/08/2025

River Milagro, the miracle cat who defied the odds, is now looking for a forever home to enjoy the rest of his life. We need your help to make that happen! River was discovered wandering the streets, severely emaciated and with wounds on his head. He was rescued by a kind soul, and then Sarah, our co-founder, welcomed him into her care to help him heal and regain his strength. After overcoming his injuries and undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his eye, unfortunately, the cancer returned. As a result, we’ve placed River in hospice care, where he will no longer receive treatment but will live out his days comfortably. But don’t feel sorry for River—he’s not in pain. He’s healthy, full of energy, and embraces life to the fullest. There’s still so much love and joy left in him! Please SHARE this post to help River find the loving forever home he deserves.

02/03/2025

Great news, kittens Jasper and Hazel have been adopted!

A couple from Washington reached out to Judy, a fellow independent rescuer (and also a volunteer at R.A.I.N. Rescued Animals In Need) in search of a pair of kittens. Judy herself didn’t have any kittens, nor did R.A.I.N., but she knew we did. She quickly contacted Sharon, the foster mom of our kittens, and asked if we would be open to adopting them out to this wonderful couple, who had previously adopted through her. We were thrilled to help, though we weren’t sure how to get the kittens to them. That’s when Judy generously offered to drive them herself, meeting the couple halfway.

A week later, the kittens are settling in beautifully. They’re clearly happy, thriving in their new home, and giving lots of cuddles to their loving family (cute video in comments).

Congrats Jasper and Hazel on your new home!

02/02/2025

How to deal with feral cats

01/27/2025

Dear Friends:

I’m very sad to let you know that Juice is no longer with us… but his suffering is over.

This morning, I brought Juice to Doc, who immediately took us into the exam room and gave him a sedative. Quickly, Juice fell into deep sleep, and I carried him out of the trap onto the exam table.

After feeling his bad paw, Doc went on to palpate all his other joints, including his jaw. Then he told me the awful news: The paw wasn’t broken or abscessed — instead, poor Juice had a painful genetic disorder in which the cartilage overgrows, fusing the joints throughout the body. Tragically, it is progressive and in its later stages untreatable.

It often manifests in mid-life, and Doc estimated that Juice was about 8. With his degree of overgrowth, he had been suffering for several years. Movement and even eating had been painful, which explains why Juice was so thin despite the feeder keeping the bowl filled with kibble.

As a rescue, we face many rough choices. And as heartbreaking as this one was, we knew it was necessary, so we made the only humane decision possible: letting brave Juice sleep on.

The gentle send-off is such a sad end to a rescue… but this is a rescue nonetheless. Our deepest gratitude goes to all of you whose hearts reached out to this precious boy — your caring and generosity made an essential difference: Now at the Rainbow Bridge, Juice is finally freed from pain.

If any of you who donated hoping for a happier outcome would like a refund, let us know and we’ll return your share of any overage from the cost of his final care. Otherwise, we’ll use the funds to help the next cat in need — there are always many more.

As we in Northstate Cat Coalition bid a sad farewell to Juice, we know we’re not alone: This courageous kitty’s story resonated far and wide with so many of you — our followers and beyond — and we’re comforted and grateful to share our mourning with such a caring community.

Rest in peace, dear Juice. At the end of your harsh life on Earth, you were loved by many, your pain was ended, and your brave spirit was released, now flying free.

Northstate Cat Coalition

01/27/2025

Huzzah for Juice!

01/27/2025

Juice Update: Sunday, January 26, 9:35 p.m.

Friends — we got him! Juice is SAFE!

As soon as we arrived onsite this morning, stellar mega-trapper Kirsten spotted him, still down in the storm drain. At first he was with Calico, but as soon as we started our prep work she made herself scarce and we saw no sign of her all afternoon.

Today’s mission had many moving parts — literally! It took a day-long combo of muscle (Kirsten hoisted that heavy iron storm-drain lid like an Amazon!) — and essential strategy (storm-drain lid dislodgement, kitty surveillance and hours of watch-and-wait) — plus some high tech (Kirsten’s amazing automated trap).

It was such a thrill to lift that trap out of the storm drain — with Juice inside!

Of course, he didn’t share our excitement, so we draped the trap immediately and put it in the back of my Subaru, where he calmed down (see pic).

As dusk fell, we cleaned up the bait mess, replaced the “man”hole cover, packed up all our gear, shared a hug of thanks and congratulations, and bid each other farewell.

Then, rescue Amazon that she is, Kirsten hurried off to help some other errant kitty reunite with his caring human.

First thing in the morning, I’ll be taking Juice to Doc to get an exam, bloodwork and a treatment plan for his paw and any other issues.

For that, friends, we need you. So far, our Juice fund has nearly $300, but that won’t even cover the above basics. So please share this post — and join the Ginger Juice Gang to help our boy get the care he needs.

Donate here: https://linktr.ee/northstatecatcoalition

Thanks so much! With your help, Juice will become the strong, healthy ginger boy he was meant to be.

01/25/2025

More Juice!

01/25/2025

Juice update, Saturday 1/25, 2:10 a.m.

Friends, apologies for the absence of Juice updates: He’s been doing well, but two of our elder companion animals went to the Bridge, so it’s been a tough week.

On Thursday, I spotted Juice sunning himself in the parking lot where he hangs out, & soon after his calico companion hopped down into the nearby storm drain, he followed her. (It’s a 3x3-ft. & 3-ft. deep space with an opening that’s too narrow for a human to enter.)

After awhile, Calico hopped out, but Juice didn’t. I dropped some wet food, he ate it & then disappeared into the tunnel inside. We waited & called him for more than an hour, but he didn’t return, though Calico hopped back in & out again.

Yesterday (Friday morning), I came back to check on him. Though Calico was in the parking lot, there was no sign of Juice there or in the storm drain — but he could be in the locked dumpster enclosure, where he often hangs out — he slips through the gate, but we humans need to unlock it to look inside. I’ll look there tomorrow morning (the store employees are all on board to help/rescue Juice & will open it for me).

Though this is his home turf and he could be anywhere in the vicinity, he might still be in the storm drain — & if so, with his injured paw, we’re concerned that he might not be strong enough to jump out. So we decided that the best way to get him out would be to make a ramp he can walk up & out on for the time being.

So yesterday (Friday) afternoon, Sarah brought us a 6-ft. wooden plank, & I bought a carpeted mat that my daughter stapled onto it to make a textured ramp Juice can grab easily. Then I went back onsite & called for him, but didn’t see him, though Calico jumped in & out of the storm drain.

I put the ramp into the storm drain & kept watch past dark. No results, so I left after putting a big helping of tuna in the bowl at the drain outlet/entrance, figuring the scent might lure him up & out on the ramp.

I also talked with the store employees & manager — all are cat lovers & on board with us rescuing Juice, have my phone number, & will keep me posted on any sightings.

Later this morning I’ll go back and check the storm drain again & ask them if there’s any footage of Juice on their security cam.

We’re not too worried: he’s on familiar turf, & if he is in the storm drain, now that the plank is in place he should be able to walk up & out whenever he wants to. We just want to see him — & hope to trap him & Calico soon to get them to Doc’s for a general checkup — & a diagnosis of that paw.

We’ll keep you posted… & we’re so gratified that Juice’s story has resonated with you all. He’s such a trouper — &, we suspect, a sweet soul.

Thanks so much for caring, all of you!❤️

01/20/2025

Friends, This poor cat needs your help desperately.

For a long time, Juice has made intermittent appearances at an inhospitable location with no shelter… and we spotted him only occasionally.

Today, after a long absence, he reappeared, in terrible shape: now bony, ragged and limping on what looks to be a badly broken and painful front leg.

He’s out in the cold, scrounging for garbage and hiding behind a dumpster.

We need to trap and get Juice immediately for the emergency care and bloodwork he needs for a definitive diagnosis and treatment.

Please share this post and donate what you can to get this poor kitty off the street and into lifesaving care ASAP.

Thanks so much, friends!

01/18/2025

Happy Adoption Day to our sweet Willow!

Nine months ago, we received a call from a landlord who discovered Willow trapped in an abandoned house after her owners moved out. Though they had left food and water behind, Willow’s bowls were empty after three days, and we shudder to think what might have happened if she had checked on the house later. Laura, one of our volunteers and board members, immediately took her in, giving her lots of love, as she was traumatized by being abandoned by her family and left on her own for days.

Willow’s new family was searching for a calm, dog-friendly cat who could be a companion for their son. From the moment they met, shy Willow blossomed, and she immediately warmed up to him with affection. We knew right away it was meant to be! Now, Willow spends her days curled up on his lap while he plays video games, and they’ve become the best of friends. We couldn’t be more thrilled for this sweet girl’s new chapter.

01/13/2025

We have kittens! 🐾
Introducing Hazel, Willow and Jasper.

It all began with a trip to pick up groceries in town back in August, a seemingly ordinary errand that led to an unexpected rescue. These kittens, now known as the “snake food babies,” were saved just in time from a person who had been muttering about feeding them to a large snake. 🐍 During a conversation with the caretaker, who was actively seeking good homes for the kittens, we learned that he also spays and neuters cats in his area. In fact, he had a pregnant cat back home, nearly ready to give birth. With no options for the expectant cat in Round Mountain over the weekend, we agreed to take in the three kittens he had with him. Off they went to foster care.

A few weeks later, the kittens were transferred to a no-kill shelter in a neighboring community, where they continued to thrive.

👉 Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when we were contacted about another person standing outside a market in Redding, looking to rehome kittens. As it turned out, he was the same individual from Round Mountain—the one who had been caring for the original “snake food babies.” This time, three more kittens were in need of help.

We learned that these new kittens were born to the same mom cat we had heard about before, and the caretaker was continuing his efforts to spay and neuter the local cat population. But with foster homes and rescues at full capacity, including us, he had reached out to everyone for help.

Though financially stretched and with no space available, something about this situation just tugged at us—sometimes a cause resonates so deeply that you can’t turn away. 🙏 Fortunately, our volunteer Sharon had just enough time and room to take in these three little kittens to help them get healthy and ready for their next chapter.

Once they are ready, we will transfer them to the wonderful no-kill shelter, in a neighboring community, that we partner with.
They are doing wonderfully, growing stronger and healthier every day.

Thank you for being part of our “rescue village” and joining us on every step of our journey. Your support makes all the difference!

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P.S. Our sweet trio of kittens have healthy appetites (which we absolutely love to see!), and they’re growing strong every day. If you’d like to help keep them well-fed and thriving, we’ve created an Amazon wish list with their favorite foods: Fancy Feast Wet Kitten Food and Purina Cat Chow Dry Food.

➡️ https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/11I1WQZOS3SY7?ref_=wl_share