Oakland TNR Coalition

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Oakland TNR Coalition

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Oakland TNR Coalition is a volunteer-run, foster-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit cat rescue founded in 2019 with a focus on TNVR in Oakland, Pittsburgh and surrounding city neighborhoods.

08/23/2025

Capri Sun, Sunny D and Fanta are still waiting!

When we first introduced the all orange litter of 7, they were just tiny newborns and yinz went wild for them. They were shared over a hundred times and seen by thousands across Instagram and Facebook. Our inbox blew up with comments and messages asking if they were available… but they were far from adoption-ready.

Fast forward to now. These perfect, sweet, goofy little orange purr machines are STILL waiting for their people. How is that even possible?!

They’re the friendliest boys, total social butterflies who love their play breaks, cuddle time, and all the attention from customers, employees, and volunteers at Petco. But let’s be real, as much fun as that is, they’d much rather bust out of Petco and into forever homes!

Could Capri Sun, Sunny D, or Fanta be the orange boy you’ve been waiting for? Head down to the Waterfront (Homestead) Petco to meet them and apply to adopt today!

Adoption Application —> bit.ly/otnrcadoption

08/20/2025

🚨 HELP! SOS, We’re completely out of wet food! 🚨

Our kitties in foster care and at Petco are out of wet food, and with still over 70 cats in our care right now, mealtime adds up fast. On top of that, we’re still catching up on big summer vet bills, plus 13 spay/neuters and several wellness visits just this month alone so far.

We really don’t want to dip into vetting funds to cover food, so we’re asking for help stocking up. Every can, every bag, every dollar makes a difference for these kitties!

We really need yinz! Please consider sending wet (or dry!) food for our fosters and Petco cats, or donating to help cover vet bills!

Foster Wishlist:
Amazon —> amzn.to/4c7DMG1
Chewy —> bit.ly/otnrc_chewylist

Petco Wishlist:
Amazon —> bit.ly/otnrc_petco

Monetary Donations:
Givebutter —> bit.ly/otnrc_donate
PayPal —> paypal.me/oaklandtnrcoalition
Venmo —> venmo.com/u/OaklandTNR

08/14/2025

This Saturday is our favorite event of the year, ! 🌱💚

As a vegan- and vegetarian-founded rescue, our compassion extends to all walks of life, so you just know this is our kind of day! Expect AMAZING food, awesome organizations, and a community that truly cares.

Swing by our booth to snag our brand new logo shirts hot off the press from ! We’ll also have our classic t-shirts, patches & stickers, tote bags & crochet bags, and of course our famous handmade catnip kickers and other toys (because the cats deserve VegFest treats too!)

Come on down to booth 61 from 11–5pm and hang out, say hi, and help us celebrate compassion for all. Can’t wait to see yinz!

08/12/2025

Capri Sun is watching the door, hoping his forever person walks through any minute! 💛

We still have a wonderful crew of kittens waiting at Petco, with two new friends joining them later this week (we’ll introduce them once they’re settled in!).

Don’t let our sweethearts grow up in the store! Come meet them, fall in love, and make one yours today*!
 Adoption Application —> bit.ly/otnrcadoption

*Must be adopted in pairs or go to homes with another young cat!

08/11/2025

These four kittens have had ZERO applications, so let’s change that!

From Stanton Heights to your heart, Peanut, Kenny, Poppy, and Pepper are still waiting for their forever families. Each one is sweet, social, and ready to bring joy to their new home.

Meet:
Peanut, a tiny tortie with a huge personality! Playful, confident, and always up for a snack.
Kenny, the fearless leader! Friendly, curious, and loves both adventure and a good snooze.
Pepper, the snugglebug. Loves being held, petted, and cuddled. Almost all black, with a heart of gold.
Poppy, Pepper’s twin sister! Sleek black beauty, gentle, and always ready for playtime.

All four get along with other cats (even seniors!) and would be thrilled to be adopted in pairs so they’ll have a playmate for live!

Let’s not make them wait another day, apply now and make one (or two!) part of your family!

Adoption Application —> bit.ly/otnrcadoption

08/10/2025

On Thursday, we saw a post in a local rehoming group about a pregnant cat. We don’t often work outside the city, but when it comes to pregnant cats, we always worry where they might end up if we don’t act. So, we stepped in.

So… meet Pin Cushion!🪡 Just 6 months old, still a baby herself and was already expecting kittens…💔 She’s impossibly sweet, and thanks to her kind finders (who took her to a vet to be checked out, brought us supplies and drove her all the way into the city), she’s now safe with us.

Pregnant spays are one of the most important parts of ending the overpopulation crisis. And a responsible rescue will choose to do the right thing any day of the week. One unspayed cat can lead to thousands of kittens over her lifetime. Pregnant spays prevent those kittens from being born into uncertainty, where most won’t survive. Stopping the cycle means fewer cats in shelters, on the streets, and at risk of death and euthanasia.

We love every cat we meet, and it’s not an easy job, but we also know the kindest choice is always prevention. Pin Cushion will now have the chance to grow up without the stress and danger of being a teen mom and raising litter after litter.

Welcome to safety, Pin Cushion!

08/09/2025

Poor Pat and Bunny have been waiting 5 months for their big break — could it be with you?

Once they lived in crates in a rental truck after their people lost their home. When the truck had to go back, they had nowhere to go. They came to us and now they’ve been waiting since MARCH for their forever person.

5 months in rescue is 5 months too long. They are literally the perfect cats, yet they continue to be overlooked time and time again and we can’t figure out why. They’re everything you’d want in a cat times two.

They’ve survived the worst together. All they need now is you.

Apply to adopt Pat and Bunny, make their wait finally come to an end!

Adoption Application —> bit.ly/otnrcadoption

08/08/2025

Our coffee kittens are ready to be served straight into forever homes!

Rescued from Swissvale and brewed to perfection, these three classic tabbies are just as warm and cozy as your favorite latte!

Meet the trio! Cortado is the little runt who grew into a big lover boy. Mocha is the once-shy girl who blossomed into a long-haired fluffy goddess. And Affogato is the supposed tough, independent guy who’s really just a big softie.

They’re all sweet as can be and just three of our TWENTY THREE available (or soon to be available) kittens! You can adopt them as singles to be the perfect friend for your young cat(s), or mix and match your own purrrfect coffee blend.

Apply today! bit.ly/otnrcadoption

08/02/2025

Wednesday, we were alerted to a skinny Siamese cat spotted in Oakland. The feeder had noticed the cat was losing weight, so we asked her to set a trap. He went right in, we got him settled in a crate, named him Ozzy and awaited his vet appointment yesterday.

At the vet this yesterday morning, “he” turned out to be a she. Ozzy was too spooked for much handling, but they did manage to get vaccines on board, but we couldn’t help but notice some suspiciously prominent ni***es.

Sure enough, once we got her back, a little investigative work confirmed she was lactating. We rushed back to the trapping location and immediately heard faint kitten cries next door. Tucked under a porch behind a set of storm doors, we found three spicy, dramatic little babies. With nowhere to run, they screamed and complained the whole time (classic rockstar behavior), but we snatched them right up and got them reunited with their mom.

So please join us in officially welcoming our unexpected new crew, Mama Ozzy and her trio of tiny headbangers, Prince of Darkness, Madman
and Black Sabbath (who have of course decided the litter box is far more comfortable than the cute cozy cubby house they’ve been given).

They’re safe for now in a very temporary foster, but we’d love to place this family in a more permanent foster home as they grow. If you’re open to fostering (especially this little family), apply here: bit.ly/otnrc_foster

07/29/2025

Urgent foster needed for sweet Simon!

We’re back trapping on CMU’s campus after student fosters Sophia and Christina trapped two kittens near the frat houses. With help from local trapper Valerie, they caught an orange tomcat who’d been hanging around for a while. It turns out the big boy, now named Simon, is a total sweetheart and FIV+ (no big deal!). But now he needs your help.

While prepping him for foster care, we noticed his tail was limp and he was dribbling urine. A visit to Rivers confirmed trauma to his lower spine/base of the tail, causing some nerve damage affecting his bladder. He can p*e a little on his own, but needs help expressing his bladder twice a day to stay healthy and avoid infections.

Nerve damage takes time to heal and there’s hope Simon will regain full control over time. For now, he just needs a gentle, caring person to help him heal.

We’ll provide supplies and full support, you provide the love (and a little bladder help twice a day 💦).

Despite everything, Simon is incredibly sweet, calm, and affectionate. The vet office made sure to note just how sweet and tolerant he was at his visit!

Ready to help Simon? Apply to foster here:: bit.ly/otnrc_foster

07/28/2025

📢 Pittsburgh, we need your voice! Demand action on the City’s Spay/Neuter Program!

Back in February 2024, Pittsburgh suspended its free spay/neuter program, a vital tool in controlling the population of stray and community cats. The reason? Alleged misuse by non-city residents and baseless claims that small rescues were “profiting.” (Spoiler alert: no one is profiting from rescue work, we’re barely keeping up.)

In the fall of last year, our founder and 13 other cat advocates spoke at the City Council meeting regarding the current crisis in the City of Pittsburgh. After immense pressure, the city reinstated the program, but only in a limited capacity and only for feral cats. However, now 10 months after our pleas, the program is still not accepting new applications, and independent rescuers and everyday residents are still being left out.

Let’s be clear. Rescue organizations are overwhelmed. Our intakes are up 47% compared to this time last year. And adoptions are only up 25%. This is not sustainable.

City Council could make a real difference. But instead, we’re getting the runaround. While the city talks about new contracts and reviews, cats and dogs are multiplying, rescues and shelters are drowning, and residents are out of options.

We’ve done everything we can behind the scenes. Now we need the public outcry. If they won’t listen to the people doing the work, maybe they’ll listen to YOU.

EMAIL LEE SCHMIDT, Director of Public Safety.
 Demand answers. Demand accountability. Demand the reinstatement and expansion of the free spay/neuter program.

Email: [email protected] Sample message available upon request.

Together, we can’t adopt our way out of this. But we CAN speak up. And we NEED to, before it’s too late.

07/27/2025

BREAK CHICKPEA OUT OF PETCO JAIL!!!

This is an urgent call to any and all fabulous humans with good taste! Miss Chickpea has been waiting too long for her forever home, and it’s breaking all of our hearts! She’s a volunteer favorite (and not just because she’s cute as hell with her endearing resting bitch face), everyone who meets her freaking loves her. Like literally everyone.

Chickpea is a judgmental little queen in the best way. She’s sweet, smart, and the perfect partner-in-crime if you’re the kind of person who enjoys side-eyeing weirdos at parties and then kiking about it later.

Not into kids or kittens? Chickpea gets it. She’s not here for chaos. She’ll tolerate other adult cats from a distance, but really… she’d love to have you all to herself.

If you want a fiercely loyal, endlessly entertaining, actually perfect cat to rule your home (and your heart), come meet Chickpea. She deserves the absolute best home ever!

Chickpea is currently residing (against her will) at Petco Waterfront, so come visit her before she stages a jailbreak herself!

Adoption Application —> bit.ly/otnrcadoption

Address

Pittsburgh, PA

Telephone

+14122297103

Website

https://www.oaklandtnrcoalition.org/

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How it started

Our journey began with Lydia Swanson, who spent her time volunteering at the Scratching Post - Lewisburg Cat Cafeand the Lycoming County SPCA. She first discovered a small colony of eight cats in Oakland less than a half mile from the core of the University of Pittsburgh's campus. With advice from her local organization, Cherished Cats Rescue Alliance, she began an interesting journey into TNR, taking care of that colony as well as a 45 cat colony.

Lydia then met fellow cat lover, Elizabeth Constantino, who had recently happened upon a litter of five in the backyard of her Oakland residence. Four were returned to mom, leaving her to bottle-raise the fifth, abandoned kitten. With newly opened eyes to the reality the ever-growing population of feral cats, the two founded Oakland TNR Coalition, focused on the scientifically proven humane method: Trap, Neuter, Release.

Today, our mission is to team up with the local residents of Oakland, Pittsburgh to work on population reduction, vetting, and homing of the feral/stray/homeless cats in the community. We hope that you will continue to follow our journey and support us!