JANUARY 2021
Mews News
2020 was quite a year for us all! Although we had to modify our clinical and adoption procedures to ensure everyone's health and safety, Nine Lives Foundation remained committed, as always, to helping cats and kittens in the Bay Area. We provided over 2,100 spay/neuter surgeries to reduce the number of unwanted kittens born to stray and feral cats in the community, and also found furever homes for over 1,300 cats and kittens! Thanks to our dedicated team and generous supporters, we will continue to provide life-saving care to cats and kittens in need.

2020 also saw the retirement of our Founder and Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Monica Rudiger. Over the past sixteen years, Dr. Rudiger led us in saving more than 20,000 lives and providing spay/neuter services for nearly 100,000 cats and kittens. We wish her a wonderful retirement and will miss her leadership immensely.
New Veterinarians
We’ve hired new veterinarians and have two volunteering on a part-time basis to focus on our key mission components: spay/neuter, low-cost vaccinations, and care for the cats and kittens at our Adoption Center and in foster homes. We’ll introduce them to you soon and will let you know about other changes we are considering for our volunteers, staff, and the Board of Directors in the coming months. These changes will enhance our ability to keep our cats’ well-being our top priority.
thank you 3
Thank you to everyone who generously contributed towards our year-end fundraising campaign! Between Giving Tuesday and the year-end campaign, the Nine Lives community donated nearly $200,000. We can't begin to describe how much these donations help us! Your support is the reason we've been able to save thousands upon thousands of lives and give so many cats a chance!
NLF Kitty Spotlight
Cody is a handsome and huggable 8-year-old gentleman who is FIV+. 

Cody is blind but that doesn’t stop him from exploring! He loves to bravely roam the Adoption Center, stopping for cuddles and chin scratches along the way. This snuggly senior kitty would love to find his own furever home to explore. Click here to learn more about FIV+ cats and why they make great pets!

If you are interested in meeting Cody, please call us at (650) 368-1365.
Cat Socialization
One of the tasks that has kept us busy already this year is socializing nineteen cats that were rescued from a hoarding situation. While these cats are in relatively good health, they are quite frightened and are not yet used to interacting with humans. 

Luckily our volunteers are on the job! Cat socialization can take some time, especially in older cats. But we are already seeing that patience, kindness, and positive reinforcement go a long way towards transforming these scared kitties into loving cats ready for their furever homes. If you are working with a tricky kitty, check out these tips for socialization from the ASPCA.
Hours of Operation
Our clinic and adoption center are open! We require visitors to follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask over their mouth and nose at all times. The adoption center is currently open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by appointment only. The clinic is open Monday-Saturday (hours vary — see below). The weekly vaccination clinics on Wednesdays from 4:00-7:00 pm do not require an appointment. For all other services, including spay and neuter, please call us at (650) 368-1365.
Look out for future editions of Nine Lives Foundation Mews News!