The Oregon Cat Project

The Oregon Cat is a unique no-kill feline rescue because all our adult cats live in community rooms. We house between 100-225 cats and kittens here in our Lake Oswego faclity depending on the season. Adoptions our first year were over 400. We are aiming for three times that amount or 1200 cats in new homes this year making us the fastest growing rescue in Oregon. We house Fiv+/Felv+ cats and kittens taking them from Oregon and Washington rescues. Our Felv+ program is one of the only in the state and we believe the largest in the NW. The Oregon Cat's goal is to end animal homelessness, as is many others, but we are taking aggressive actions to move toward that goal. In 2012, we intend to expand to a second location near Tigard that will house a feline medical center and spay and neuter clinic that will be offer $10 spay and neuter surgeries to the public for their cats. Plans are also underway to grow our barn cat program, increase our foster numbers both for kittens and medically fragile cats, provide statewide funding for spays and neuters, and move closer toward our most ambitious goal - to become Portland's first open admission, no-kill feline shelter.

Share our Vision to Become Part of the Solution....

We, as animal lovers, know how to solve the crisis of animal over-population, homelessness and senseless euthanasia

All that is left now is to do it.

After looking at spay/neuter programs across the country The Oregon Cat has decided on a blended model that addresses the crisis being experienced here in the city itself and in the rural and outlying areas of the state where there are no funds allocated and no services available for the area cats. This epidemic is replicated across every state in the union.

What originally started as an idea for a simple low-cost spay/neuter clinic for cats in Clackamas county is now evolving into a program that will include not only Clackamas cats and kittens: but all cats and kittens statewide and the individuals and organizations who care for them. Our goals include working in partnership with these other organizations, including shelter facilities, rescue organizations, and humane societies to reduce the flood of homeless animals into our many county shelters.

We will open our doors to all cats, kittens, and families. Current programs for low-income families present barriers due to complicated eligibility procedures and limitations. All of The Oregon Cat's marketing and educational material will be offered in English and Spanish. The Oregon Cat will offer easy, convenient, and affordable sterilization for all of Oregon's cats. This includes cats in low-income households, rural areas, available for adoption on sources like CL, and those that are un-owned free-roaming. Low cost spay/neuter is also the most significant way to help feral cats. These animals are very unlikely to ever have the luxury of seeing the inside of any veterinary practice in their lifetime.

The clinic's location will be accessible by public transportation and conveniently located to a major freeway. The Oregon Cat's transport program will offer pick up and delivery service for families without transportation or access to public services. Stops will be scheduled throughout the city and the state. The van will also travel to outlying areas throughout the state to transport cats and kittens for surgery whether from a feral colony or for a rescue group in need. Other communities that have implemented similar programs of aggressive sterilization have experienced shelter intake reductions of 25-34% over the long term (Secovich, 2003). Benefits resulting from this would also include improved overall shelter conditions with less crowding and reduced costs.

The Oregon Cat Clinic will attain its goals and target numbers because rescues and individuals will provide the clients needed to be cost-efficient (5000 surgeries in the first 365 days, 10,000 the following year). With help, these small organizations will grow and maybe be able to provide even more services to more animals because of their access to a low cost spay/neuter. Only together as a team with a common vision can we succeed in making a difference in The Oregon Cat's Life.