Hundreds of cats still being helped months after Camp Fire
Stardust was rescued on March 23 and is now available for adoption. The crinkles at the end of her whiskers are proof that she suffered burns during the fire. She has scars around her neck which the rescue team presumes are from a collar with plastic (maybe a flea collar) that melted during the fire and fell off. Stardust is a petite endearing girl who just wants to be on someone’s lap. Photo courtesy of Alley Cat Allies.

It’s been more than eight months since the Camp Fire, and cats are still being rescued from the ruins.

Since the devastating Camp Fire destroyed thousands of homes in Paradise and Butte County, California, Alley Cat Allies has been on site helping lost and injured cats. In the first six months, their team rescued more than 550 felines, many of which had burn marks on their whiskers or other injuries caused by the fire. All these cats received medical attention from at Alley Cat Allies® Recovery Center, managed by FieldHaven Feline Center in Marysville.

Incredibly, of the 550 rescued cats, the Alley Cat Allies Recovery Center has successfully reunited 134 with their original families, while another 270 have been adopted. Many other cats are still awaiting permanent homes, but more reunions are taking place every week.

Community cats (those that aren’t socialized) are spayed or neutered, eartipped, microchipped and returned to their outdoor homes. Alley Cat Allies and FieldHaven Feline Center are actively working with the City of Paradise to help community cats who survived the fire and are still living in the city. This effort is ongoing and may take years.

“We’re thankful that so many Camp Fire cats have been reunited with their families, but we also know that plenty of work remains,” says Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “Our ongoing focus is to help rebuild the community’s ability to protect cats over the long term. We’re encouraging the organizations who care for cats in the area to envision the future they want, and we’re helping them create a plan to make it happen.”

Visit fieldhaven.com/cfrc/locations/ or call 530-783-9009 for more information on cats who are currently being cared for at the transfer station.

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