The Nine Lives cats are dreaming of finding a home for the holidays! Come by our Adoption Center this week and meet our new arrivals, including Cuddles, an adorably floofy black and white kitty who was found as a stray by a good Samaritan in Daly City. True to his name, Cuddles is incredibly snuggly and affectionate. He loves being held, lounging on laps, and tummy rubs. He shows his appreciation for his human friends by unleashing his rumbling purr and making biscuits with his big fluffy paws. Cuddles would make a wonderful addition to any family!

Cuddles, an affectionate five-year-old kitty from the Daly City area

In addition to cats that are waiting to find their forever home, we also have several kitties that would benefit from a short-term foster home. These include cats who need extra medical care, are struggling with life in a cage, or require a little more patience to help them find their confidence. Here are just a few: Lucky is a very sweet 5-year-old boy with lots of love to give! He was adopted from Nine Lives as a kitten in 2017, and recently returned to us because his adopters were no longer able to care for him. Lucky is currently being treated for conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) and is receiving topical eye medications multiple times per day. He needs a foster family that is comfortable administering those medications and can monitor his weight and appetite. Lucky’s anticipated length of foster is 2-3 weeks.

Lucky, a loving five-year-old orange and white tabby

Sally is an adorable 7-year-old tabby with the world’s cutest blep! She is very sweet, gentle, and easy-going. She just needs a soft place to nap and someone to love! Sally arrived at Nine Lives over a year ago. Since then, she has been treated for various medical conditions, including ringworm, anemia, and stomatitis, which required a full-mouth extraction. She is now healthy enough to be adopted, but is having trouble finding her perfect match and could really use a break from shelter life. Sally is a picky eater, so she will need to be given a “buffet” of different kinds of food to choose from. We would also like her foster family to monitor her weight and appetite, and give her lots of love! Her anticipated length of foster is approximately one month.

Sally, an adorable seven-year-old tabby from the San Jose area

Lana is a 3-year-old tuxedo kitty with magnificent whiskers. She enjoys neck and head scratches, and will use your legs as a rubbing post. She loves people and can be very sweet (and is a lap cat!) but gets agitated in certain situations, especially around other kitties. Lana could really use a break from the stress of shelter life (and other cats). We hope spending time in a quiet home environment, away from other kitties, will bring out her more relaxed side, making her more attractive to potential adopters. Lana needs a cat-savvy foster family who can become familiar with her body language and understand her triggers. Her anticipated length of foster is approximately one month.

Lana, an outgoing three-year-old kitty from the Gilroy area

Giving these cats even a temporary home will help them on their journey to finding their forever families. If you are able to provide them with a safe space to thrive, please fill out a foster application on our website or contact us at foster@ninelivesfoundation.org.

Liam’s Corner

I first want to extend a Happy Holidays to everyone in our Nine Lives family! ​​We are truly blessed to have the support of such a devoted community, unwavering in its commitment to saving cats’ lives. As we prepare for the holidays, Nine Lives strives to responsibly accept as many in-need cats from across California (and beyond!) as possible. Last week alone, our intake included cats from local good Samaritans, rescues from Los Banos, Los Gatos, Stockton, and Sacramento, and even some gorgeous community cats rescued from behind our very own Adoption Center. I also want to extend our gratitude to an incredible group of young students from Footsteps Child Care. This dedicated team planned fundraising projects for various organizations and picked Nine Lives Foundation as their first local charity to support.

Last Wednesday, December 15, eight of their Interact Club members went on a field trip to our Adoption Center, where they presented Nine Lives with a $300 donation and joined me in folding laundry and providing the nurturing care and socialization that our cats truly deserve.

Dedicated donors like Footsteps allow us to continue our mission: rescuing at-risk cats and kittens and matching them with loving forever homes for years to come. Thank you, Footsteps! To all of our cherished supporters, I extend the warmest wishes for a happy and healthy New Year. Liam Montgomery Executive Director, Nine Lives Foundation

The Purr-fect Gift

It’s not too late to get the cat lovers in your life the purr-fect holiday gift! Nines Lives Foundation 2022 calendars can be purchased online, by phone at (650) 368-1365, or in person at our clinic or adoption center. Want to save yourself a trip? You can have them mailed to you for a $5 shipping fee. The calendars are just $15 plus tax and your purchase helps us save the lives of so many more cats and kittens!

Remembering Smurf

We are deeply saddened to share the news that last Saturday, our beloved Smurf, namesake for the Nine Lives Foundation Smurf & Wanda Adoption Center, passed away peacefully after a short battle with lymphoma. Smurf arrived at Nine Lives in December 2015 as a 7-week-old, 1.75 lb kitten. He was covered head to toe with purple fabric dye, had multiple deep bite wounds and lacerations, and was struggling with infection. Doctors Desai and Rudiger provided much-needed emergency medical care and surgical intervention to aid in his recovery.

Shortly after his arrival, Smurf was introduced to an abandoned, emaciated, sick, and blind 9-week-old kitten named Wanda, and they quickly became best friends. It’s not hard to imagine that Smurf and Wanda captured the hearts of everyone at Nine Lives, our local community, and beyond.

Several weeks after arriving at Nine Lives, Smurf and Wanda went to their forever home — together — where they found extraordinary love, a safe environment, and the freedom to flourish and become the remarkable beings we know and adore.

The incredible bond between Smurf and his mom Jessica began at their first meeting and grew stronger every day. We are forever grateful to Jessica and her family for giving Smurf their unconditional love and for sharing him with the rest of the world. In Jessica’s words: “He was the kindest, most innocent boy, with the purest of souls. It is an honor to be your mama, my baby boy.”