Say hello to Xavier, a floofy six-month-old kitten with a heart as big as his purrs!
Xavier’s journey hasn’t been easy. Originally found on the streets of Stockton, he arrived at Nine Lives in rough shape — bloated and dehydrated, with matted fur, a cloudy eye, an upper respiratory infection (URI), and a tiny frame too small for his age.
Our team sprang into action, conducting lab tests, shaving his matted fur, treating his URI, and uncovering the source of his cloudy eye — sadly, it had been penetrated by a sharp object, right through the cornea.
A week later, Xavier made his way to our clinic, where Dr. Desai performed life-changing surgery to remove the damaged eye, paving the way for a bright and pain-free future.
Xavier is now thriving in recovery. He spends his days soaking up cuddles, playing with his favorite mouse toys, and basking in the attention of our adoring staff and volunteers.
He’s also gearing up for the big moment he’s been waiting for — the opportunity to find a loving forever home.
Xavier will be available for adoption this weekend and can’t wait to meet his forever family. Come see him at our Adoption Center, open Thursdays & Fridays from noon to 5:00 pm and Saturdays & Sundays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
If you’d like to support our rescue efforts and help us save more kittens like Xavier, please consider making a donation. Together, we can make more happy endings possible.
From April 18th to April 28th, in honor of Earth Day, we’re offering $50 adoption fees for each cat, and adoption fees for senior cats will be waived entirely!
In the spirit of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” we invite you to join us and celebrate by reducing our adoption fees, rescuing a furry friend in need, and recycling your love!
By adopting from Nine Lives, you’re not only giving a deserving cat a loving home but also lessening the impact of pet overpopulation.
So, if you’re thinking of adding a furry friend to your family, now is the purrfect time!
Make a sustainable choice this Earth Day and give these wonderful cats and kittens the forever homes they’ve been waiting for.
From now through April 26, we’re offering custom pet portraits for a minimum $30 (or more!) donation. The catch? You might receive a beautiful portrait from an actual artist, or a unique one created by a cat-loving volunteer with questionable artistic abilities.
It’s all in fun and will result in a keepsake portrait you’ll treasure forever, no matter the artistic level.
Here’s how it works: Just donate $30 and upload a photo of your cat — or any beloved pet — to our fundraiser website before April 26th. By popular demand, we’re not just drawing cats — at Nine Lives we love all animals, so feel free to submit your dog, guinea pig, or even your pet slug!
Custom portrait of Boston, created by artist Maia Thielen
Your photo will be randomly assigned to one of our artists. Once your masterpiece is complete, we’ll email you a digital copy of the artwork to print yourself. All of the art will be uploaded to our gallery. Check out the great work created so far!
You can also add additional donations (or “votes”) to your photo submissions through April 26th. The top three vote-getters will win a portrait created by one of our real artists, and the next top seven will get a Nine Lives goodie bag.
Besides receiving unique artwork of your captivating kitty, your donations will help save homeless and at-risk cats and kittens. On behalf of them all, thank you!
The Legacy Giving Circle is our heartfelt way of recognizing our friends whose planned gifts will ensure a bright future for Nine Lives and the at-risk cats in our care… for many years to come.
When you inform us of your legacy gift, you’ll receive communications, invitations to special events, and the opportunity to enroll your cats in our Continuing Care Program — our caring service that ensures they will always have a loving home.
Including Nine Lives Foundation in your estate plans shows your deep love for cats and helps keep your compassion alive after you’re gone. To learn more, visit our website at ninelivesfoundation.org/legacy-giving.
If you’ve already included Nine Lives in your final giving plans, please complete this Legacy Gift Notification Form so we can thank you personally and officially welcome you into the Legacy Giving Circle!
Liam’s Corner
As we enter the whirlwind of kitten season, I’m reminded of the challenges and heartaches that come with this time of year.
Last week was particularly tough for all of us at Nine Lives. We received a surprise litter of neonatal kittens, born prematurely to an unhealthy mother who was unable to care for them. Despite our efforts to save them — from administering fluids, providing around-the-clock bottle feedings and tube feedings, and ensuring warmth with heating pads — their fragile lives slipped away one by one.
It’s been hard on everyone, from our experienced veterinary staff to our dedicated fosters.
Kitten season isn’t all cute and cuddly; it’s a time of overwhelming challenges where every rescue, every treatment, and every dollar counts. This is why we stress the importance of spaying and neutering your pets — to prevent needless suffering and death.
However, amid the sorrow, there are glimmers of resilience and hope.
Our Adoption Center team feeding the new bottle babies
Despite our very recent losses, we welcomed two more litters of neonatal bottle babies last week, both of which require intensive, around-the-clock care.
Among them are a litter from the Stockton Animal Shelter, just two weeks old, who arrived underweight, undernourished, and battling severe upper respiratory infections.
Thanks to the swift actions of our medical team, they are now in the comfort of a loving home, being carefully treated by their foster parents.
With your generosity, we can continue to provide essential care to these vulnerable kittens and the countless others that depend on us. It’s going to be a tough few months for our team, but with your support, we’ll keep fighting to save lives.
