Mews News: Looking Back on 2022

January 24, 2023

Mews News:

Looking Back on 2022

Last Tuesday we celebrated what would have been the 101st birthday of iconic comedian and animal-lover, Betty White. In honor of Ms. White we would like to introduce one of our newest arrivals — Lil' Betty!

Lil' Betty was surrendered to our neighbors at SAGE Emergency Hospital in Redwood City last weekend. She was in dire straits after her curiosity caused her to eat a hair tie which then got stuck in her small intestines. Luckily for her, the fantastic veterinarians at SAGE stepped in and volunteered their time and resources to perform life-saving abdominal surgery on Lil' Betty.

Lil' Betty's big beautiful eyes are impossible to resist!

Before they proceeded with the surgery they called us and asked if we could care for Lil' Betty during her recovery. We happily agreed, and before long this sweet and curious girl was settling in at Nine Lives. Now one week later, she is healing beautifully and has grown accustomed to her cone of shame. She quickly charmed our staff and volunteers with her big beautiful eyes and muffin-making skills.

Although organizations in the animal rescue and veterinary community often join forces behind the scenes, this type of fellowship is rarely highlighted. As they say, animal rescue takes a village! Thanks to this partnership between our organizations, Lil' Betty will go on to live a happy and healthy life. In this case, curiosity did not kill the cat!

Nine Lives Earns Top Ratings

We're excited to share that we’ve earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator! Charity Navigator is the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit evaluator. This is their highest possible rating and means you can give with confidence! You can learn more about Charity Navigator and our rating here.

We’re also excited to share that we’ve earned a 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency with Candid (previously Guidestar)! The Platinum Seal is awarded to nonprofits that illustrate the highest level of responsible fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. You can view our Candid nonprofit profile here.

These milestone achievements couldn’t have happened without you and your support. Your trust and support helps us make a difference for the at-risk cats and kittens we serve. Thank you for being an integral part of our mission!

Join the Board!

Are you looking for a new challenge in 2023? Join Our Board and make a difference in the lives of cats and kittens in California!

We're expanding our Board of Directors to help meet the needs of a growing and dynamic organization. If you have a few hours each week to work with us on projects and strategic initiatives, we’d love to hear from you!

Board positions are all volunteer roles and we are seeking passionate people with skills in a range of areas, including finance & accounting, fundraising, marketing & PR, operations, technology, and more!

Calling all cat lovers!

For more information and to start a conversation, please review the information and complete the form here.

Liam's Corner

Happy New Year to the incredible Nine Lives community! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season and are safe from the recent storms.

I wanted to sing from the rooftops and send a massive "THANK YOU" for all of your support throughout 2022. As most rescue organizations can attest, it was quite a trying year with an explosion of misplaced and at-risk cats and one of the biggest kitten seasons to-date. You, our dedicated donors and fellow rescue enthusiasts, stood firmly by our side through economic uncertainty, the ongoing pandemic, and every other obstacle we encountered last year. You enabled us to not only persevere… but to thrive against all odds!

In 2022 we managed to increase the number of low-cost spay and neuter surgeries provided to fellow nonprofit rescue groups, local trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs for feral cats, and privately-owned cats in our community. And your donations allowed us to expand our rescue efforts, resulting in a 25% increase in adoptions. This means 25% more cats and kittens — including those at risk of euthanasia, in need of medical attention, or rescued from homeless situations — found safe and loving homes in 2022.

Adorable sisters Sadie, Stella, and Sami came to us via one of our local rescue partners in late November.

Last year we put best practices at the forefront of our operations. By implementing standard procedures and protocol for things like disease control, housing density, and drug administration, we ensure that we are providing the best possible experience for the cats in our care.

These best practices enabled us to be awarded some major financial grants — from California for All Animals, the Maddie's Fund "We Foster Challenge," The JEM Project, Sand Hill Angels Charitable Fund, and more! — and to participate in amazing reputable networks including the Best Friends Network, Shelter Animal Count, Petco Love Partners, and the Maddie's Fund Network.

In early 2022 we implemented a new Cat Care and Enrichment program across our facilities to ensure that we address not only the medical needs of the cats in our care, but their emotional needs too!

This helps fearful kitties like Blanche (pictured here) acclimate to their new surroundings, gain confidence, and learn to trust humans — which can help them get adopted more quickly.

All in all, you helped make 2022 a game-changing year. But more important than these operational and statistical successes is our mission, which is at the core of everything we do: to proudly provide lifelines for at-risk cats and kittens and affordable, compassionate care for our feline friends and the people who love them. Your support allows us to continue to pursue our mission and care for the vulnerable cats and kittens in our community. Your support gives us hope and allows us to give others hope, too.