Blog | Save Our Kitties Stockton

Our donors make a difference!

It has been more than two years since I founded SOKS and started trap-neuter-return (TNR) in Stockton. During this time, our team of volunteers has accomplished a lot, but that work would not have been possible without our generous donors.

SOKS' very first and, even today, major donor is the Dogwood Animal Rescue Project. We are tremendously grateful for their continued support.

Most of our monetary donors are one-time contributors, but we do have a few very faithful donors who support SOKS regularly. When I asked one of them, Jane, why she decided to donate, she said:

"Because I want to see kitties thrive in our communities. For that to happen, we need to manage their population so there won't be unnecessary suffering, illnesses, and deaths."

We also have donors who prefer to support SOKS with supplies and resources. At the end of last year, we received a huge amount of canned cat food from Weruva, a family-owned pet food company. Just like us, they believe that pets are part of a human family. Thank you, David and Stacie!

I also want to mention Vickie, a wonderful donor who sends us dry and canned food every month. We are so grateful!

"I’m so happy to have found SOKS," said Vickie. "What a dedicated and caring group of people who devote their time, energy, and much love to help out so many kitties right here in our community. They are out in the summer sun and winter rains, each and every day making a real difference in stopping the terrible cycle of our growing feral cat population. Count me in!"

SOKS has many friends in the community who support us during our fundraisers. It is so heartwarming to see the familiar faces and meet new supporters at our events. Please, keep checking our website and social media for announcements about upcoming fundraisers.

I would also like to express my gratitude to anonymous donors. I do not know who you are, but your donations really make a difference! Thank you ❤️

Visit SOKS Support Us page to find out how you can help and donate.

SOKS speaks about TNR at a local kitten care class

The more people learn about the benefits of the trap-neuter-return process, the more we can all help with overpopulation of cats in our communities. That is why I had accepted an invitation to present at a kitten care class co-organized by two local non-profits, Oreo's Haven and 8 Mile Abandoned Cat Project.

The event took place on July 20 at O'Connor Woods in Stockton. It was attended by people from community who take care of the feral colonies as well as volunteers from local cat rescues and our city's animal services employees.

Karin, one of the attendees said, "Thank you for having this class for all of us. It was very helpful and a lot of good information even for fosters who have been at this for many years."

Special thanks to O'Connor Woods for hosting.

Contact SOKS if you would like us to do a presentation at your community gathering.

From Buddy to Brody, how a one-eyed feral cat found a new life

This is a happy story about a one-eyed kitty that some of you might know from photos on our website.

Exactly one year ago we trapped a very sick, feral cat. We named him Buddy. As a result of an untreated upper respitarory infection (URI) one of his eyes was very badly infected. When we took Buddy to get neutered, we found out that his eye had to be removed. The vet told us, however, that the cat was very mellow and that with a lot of attention and love he could probably be tamed. Well, we decided to give him a chance.

During his recovery and taming process, Buddy stayed at my house for a few months. Slowly we witnessed how he started to trust humans. I still remember his first purr, his first play with a toy, and his shy approaches toward my hand to get a little rub.

Buddy turned out to be a very sweet cat and he even became friends with my chichuachua. My time with him was precious and intersting. While helping him recover, I learned from him patience and gentleness. Buddy showed me how a broken cat can get a new start and begin a new life with only one eye.

After four months, Buddy was ready to go into the world. But before I could even put up his profile on Adopt-A-Pet, a dear friend of mine told me that her daughter would like to adopt a special needs cat. What a lucky coincidence! I knew that family and I was sure that Buddy won a lottery. It was wonderful news.

Our lucky rescue joined a family of four humans and three cats. His new family loved him from the moment of meeting him. They gave him a new name, Brody. They spoil and love him and he is very affectionate in return, especially towards the head of the family. Brody loves to sleep in his lap.

But let me tell you, even with only one eye, Brody is quite a mischevious character! He loves to eat, so as soon as he finishes his food he gets into the other cats' bowls. What's more, he jumps on the counter and steels food from the people!

This is such a happy end for a once homeless and sick feral cat, and I am so glad we gave him a chance to find a good and safe life.