It all started with a few neighborhood cats.

I grew up in Escondido, a city in North County San Diego just inland from Oceanside, surrounded by cats and a family of animal lovers.

Cats were my very first pets, and some of my happiest childhood memories are of spending time with them. There was nothing better than being chosen as the person they'd curl up beside at night.

When I moved to Oceanside over ten years ago, my landlord offered me a peculiar piece of advice: "Run toward the ocean. Don't go east. It's dangerous."

Having grown up visiting Oceanside, I was familiar with its reputation. But just like my hometown, I knew there were good neighborhoods and others that were a little rough around the edges. What I didn't know was how dramatically the neighborhood would change over the next few years.

Living alone for the first time, I missed the cats I'd grown up with. So I started running through my neighborhood, stopping to befriend every cat I encountered. Before long, my runs became less about exercise and more about checking in on my feline neighbors.

I had no idea what that little account would eventually become.

When the pandemic arrived, I decided to try fostering kittens through the local humane society. It changed everything.

Fostering gave me a new sense of purpose and opened my eyes to a world I hadn't fully understood. It also brought me Dolly, my white-and-orange foster fail, who became a permanent member of my family during those uncertain times.

Dolly came to me as a very sick little kitten, the final holdout of a large trapping project in nearby Vista. Her journey is a story of its own, and one I'll never forget. [Read Dolly's story →]

The more involved I became, the more I began noticing the cats who weren't so fortunate.

My neighborhood was changing rapidly. Gentrification brought rising rents and displaced longtime, low-income residents. As the neighborhood changed, I began encountering more cats living outdoors—some abandoned, some born on the streets, and others whose circumstances were unknown.

I began seeing them everywhere. Hiding beneath parked cars, darting across busy streets, searching for food, and navigating a world that wasn't particularly kind to them.

Meanwhile, the pandemic had disrupted essential spay-and-neuter services. With fewer affordable options available to residents and rescuers, more cats were going unsterilized, contributing to a growing population of free-roaming cats in our community.

I kept encountering cats who needed help but didn't seem to have anywhere to go.

In December 2021, I transformed my little Instagram account into Cats of Oceanside, a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping the friendly, forgotten, and vulnerable cats in our coastal community.

As pandemic restrictions eased, the local humane society resumed its free Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) services and introduced its Community Cat Program, which emphasizes sterilizing unowned cats and returning them to the outdoor environments where they were found. While this approach plays an important role in managing unsocialized community cat populations, I remained concerned about friendly, previously owned cats who might be better suited to adoption being returned to the streets.

These were cats who approached people, sought affection, and either remembered what it meant to have a home or were simply ready to experience one for the first time. I believe every cat who wants a home deserves a safe and loving one.

Despite the many animal welfare resources available throughout San Diego County, our community relies heavily on small rescue organizations and independent rescuers to help fill the gaps. But to me, rescue has always meant more than simply getting a cat off the streets.

Cats are often misunderstood, underestimated, and dismissed as aloof or independent. But anyone who has truly loved a cat knows how complex, affectionate, funny, and extraordinary they can be when given the time and attention to be understood.

For me, rescue has never been about numbers. It's about understanding each cat as an individual and giving them the best possible chance at a happy, fulfilling life. One of the most important parts of our work is matchmaking. Every cat has a unique personality, temperament, and set of needs, just as every potential adopter has a different lifestyle, home environment, and expectations. Finding the right match means taking the time to understand both.

Some cats are outgoing and affectionate, while others are shy, independent, or need a little extra patience. I believe a successful adoption isn't simply about finding a cat a home. It's about finding the right home for that particular cat.

It's a thoughtful, intentional approach that takes time, but it's one I'm incredibly proud of. To date, not a single Cats of Oceanside adoption has been returned.

These beliefs are at the heart of Cats of Oceanside and guide everything we do: compassion, community, thoughtful matchmaking, and education through advocacy.

None of this would be possible without the fosters, adopters, donors, supporters, and fellow cat lovers who have become part of this little community.

Thank you for being here, and for caring about the cats who call Oceanside home.

With love,

Founder & Executive Director