Hopeful Paws Project

Hopeful Paws Project Saving lives one paw at a time 🐾 TNR help, kitten first aid & barn cat placement for rural areas where help is hard to find.

🙌 Today, we trapped the final THREE adult female cats scheduled for June from the Glencoe Colony! 🎉 Tomorrow morning the...
06/19/2026

🙌 Today, we trapped the final THREE adult female cats scheduled for June from the Glencoe Colony! 🎉 Tomorrow morning they'll be heading to their spay appointments at Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode, meaning these sweet girls will NEVER have to endure another pregnancy or raise kittens in the wild again. 🥹
Life is INCREDIBLY hard on outdoor mama cats. Many kittens born outside never survive. Those who do often face hunger, parasites, disease, predators, injuries, extreme weather, and countless other challenges. The mothers themselves become exhausted and malnourished from litter after litter after litter. 💔
One of the girls we trapped today appears to have an eye infection, and she also has two concerning swollen areas on her belly. We will be asking the veterinarian to examine her carefully tomorrow and determine the best course of treatment. Please keep her in your thoughts. ❤️‍🩹

🐾🙏 Huge Thank You & Meet the Pepper Family! 🌶️🐾🙌 First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has donated food,...
06/16/2026

🐾🙏 Huge Thank You & Meet the Pepper Family! 🌶️🐾

🙌 First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has donated food, litter, supplies, and funds over the last few days.

❤️‍🩹 The support from this community continues to amaze me. Between the 7 feral family members currently in containment, approximately 15 outdoor community cats that depend on me for meals, and my 6 indoor crew, I am feeding a small army of whiskers right now! 😹 With the extreme heat we've been experiencing, I've been feeding wet food TWICE daily to help keep everyone hydrated and healthy, which means we are going through an incredible amount of food. Your generosity is truly helping keep bellies full and cats comfortable during these hot summer days. 🥹🌻

🙏🏵️ I would also like to introduce someone who has recently started helping Hopeful Paws Project. Her name is Jennifer and she has generously volunteered to help me with appointment, barn cat transportation, administrative tasks, and assisting with messages and communications. Anyone who knows rescue knows that there is never enough time in the day, and having an extra set of hands is such a blessing. I am incredibly grateful for her willingness to jump in and help these cats. 🐾

Jennifer chose the theme for our newest feral family, and we decided on peppers! 🌶️😹

🔥 Mama Cat: Ghost Pepper

🌶️ "Carolina" Reaper
🌶️ "Cherry" Pepper
🌶️ Pepperoncini
🌶️ Habanero
🌶️ Jalapeño

As adorable as they are, these little peppers are VERY spicy! 😹 They hiss, puff up, swat, scratch, and run for cover the moment they see me. Their mama, Ghost Pepper, is one of the most feral cats I've worked with in quite some time, and even changing food and water can be an adventure. 🥴

This week, I am receiving a large new kitty playpen, and my plan is to separate the two calmer kittens from the group and begin working with them one-on-one. My hope is that with enough time, patience, and love, they may learn to trust people and eventually become adoptable family pets. There are no guarantees with feral kittens, but they deserve every chance we can give them. 😻

😸 Please keep Ghost Pepper and her babies in your prayers as they continue adjusting to life in safety. And thank you all again for helping me care for them, for Rambo as he continues recovering from his devastating tail injury, and for all the community cats who depend on Hopeful Paws Project every single day.

You are making a difference one meal, one kitten, and one life at a time. 🐾❤️🌶️

☀️🐾 EXTREME HEAT & COMMUNITY CATS: HOW YOU CAN HELP! 💦🥵 With temperatures climbing into dangerous levels, outdoor cats a...
06/13/2026

☀️🐾 EXTREME HEAT & COMMUNITY CATS: HOW YOU CAN HELP! 💦

🥵 With temperatures climbing into dangerous levels, outdoor cats and kittens are at serious risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. A few simple actions can make a tremendous difference for the cats living in our neighborhoods.
Here are some ways you can help:
💧 Provide Fresh Water Daily
Place multiple bowls of fresh water in shady areas. Refill water often, especially during the hottest part of the day.
Wide, shallow bowls are best because they stay cooler and are easier for kittens to access.
Add a few ice cubes during extreme heat to help keep water cooler longer.
🥫 Feed Wet Food for Extra Hydration, Wet food provides much-needed moisture that dry food cannot. Adding a few tablespoons of water to wet food can increase hydration even more. Feed ONLY what the cats will eat within 20-30 minutes. Remove leftovers PROMPTLY to prevent attracting flies, ants, raccoons, fox and other wildlife.
🪰 Prevent Fly Problems
NEVER leave wet food sitting out all day. Flies can lay eggs in food very quickly during hot weather. Fly eggs can develop into maggots, and contaminated food can contribute to parasite problems and illness. Offer wet food during cooler morning or evening hours and pick up uneaten portions afterward.
🌳 Create Shade
Cats can overheat quickly without shelter from the sun.
A simple tarp, patio umbrella, pop-up canopy, or even a cardboard box placed under a tree can provide lifesaving shade. Make sure there is good airflow around any shelter.
🧊 Cooling Station Idea
Freeze bottles of water and place them under a shaded chair, table, or shelter. Cats often choose to rest near the cooler air surrounding the frozen bottles. You can also place frozen water bottles wrapped in towels inside shelters.
🐱 Watch for Heat Stress Signs that a cat may be overheating include:
Panting
Drooling
Rapid breathing
Weakness
Lethargy
Staggering or difficulty walking
A cat showing these symptoms needs immediate cooling and veterinary attention.
🚫 Things to Avoid
Do not leave food sitting in direct sunlight.
Do not leave metal water bowls in full sun, as they can become extremely hot.
Do not assume cats can "find water somewhere." During prolonged heat waves, many natural water sources dry up.
💧 Even One Bowl Helps You don't have to run a rescue to make a difference. A single bowl of clean water placed in a shady spot could save a life this summer. For tiny kittens, senior cats, nursing mothers, and injured cats, that extra hydration can mean everything.
At Hopeful Paws Project , we've been increasing wet food feedings during this heat wave because hydration is absolutely critical. If you care for community cats, please consider doing the same whenever possible. Together, we can help our outdoor cats and kittens stay safe, cool, and hydrated through these brutal summer temperatures. 🐾❤️‍🩹

🐱💧☀️

06/13/2026

My little Orea wakes me up every morning between 4-5am by trampling my body and batting me till I get her a fresh can of food. 😹

❤️‍🩹🥺 As of this week, I have 7 unexpected additional cats in my care.Rambo is still recovering from his devastating tai...
06/12/2026

❤️‍🩹🥺 As of this week, I have 7 unexpected additional cats in my care.

Rambo is still recovering from his devastating tail injury, and I was FINALLY able to successfully trap a feral mama cat and all 5 of her kittens, who are now safe and secure in a catio.

The problem is... they are eating me out of house and home. 😩

A nursing mother cat and growing kittens eat SIGNIFICANTLY more than normal cats. Add that to the dozens of cats I already care for, and the costs have become overwhelming. 🥺

With the extreme heat we're experiencing, I've also started feeding the outdoor community cats wet food twice a day to help keep them hydrated. Normally I reserve wet food for special circumstances, but in these temperatures it's become an absolute necessity. 🥵

Right now, I am going through approximately 15 to 20 cans of wet cat food EVERY SINGLE DAY.

That's roughly $200-$250 per week in wet food alone, and I simply CANNOT sustain that by myself. 😑

I am desperately in need of:

🐾 Wet cat food (URGENT)
🐾 Wet kitten food
🐾 Cat litter

I've added a variety of food and litter options to our Amazon Wish List so people can choose whatever fits their budget.

🧡 Amazon Wish List:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/AQICAHild4Vpadjqcz7bdgUf6Qu6-OaRt7P_FJRNNbyMlg-OQwGK0NlZDGUTVVgq8zhV5CRSAAAAkTCBjgYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIGAMH4CAQAweQYJKoZIhvcNAQcBMB4GCWCGSAFlAwQBLjARBAyuV1xaSI8GrBFzc98CARCATP7GfUuPDsm5IOuyrrgQPvEwRC28xQug20JffYMMt3HfejeFci3EWN4iSeh-a4JNuJg4HLW1mzmD8UD0IJiUkHgW6rOhABubKSrz3AY?ref_=wl_share

Every can of food helps. Every bag of litter helps. Every single donation helps.

I never want to be in a position where I have to worry about whether I can feed the animals depending on me, but that's honestly where I am right now.

These cats didn't ask to be abandoned, born outside, injured, or forgotten. They rely on us, and right now I'm asking for help on their behalf. 🙏

Thank you to everyone who continues to support Hopeful Paws Project. Because of you, cats like Rambo, this mama, and her kittens have a chance at a better life. ❤️‍🩹🐾

Please consider purchasing an item from our wish list or sharing this post. Even a single can of food makes a difference. 🙏🐱🐾

🚨 T-shirt SCAM ALERT 🚨Some supporters have reported receiving unauthorized t-shirts after ordering through links posted ...
06/12/2026

🚨 T-shirt SCAM ALERT 🚨
Some supporters have reported receiving unauthorized t-shirts after ordering through links posted in comments by scammers. These shirts are NOT affiliated with Hopeful Paws Project. They are super low quality, ugly and quite honestly embarrassing. We have NEVER authorized anyone to sell merchandise through comment links on our posts.
If you ordered from one of these links, please monitor your credit card statements and contact your bank IMMEDIATELY if you notice suspicious charges.
Please report these scam comments whenever you see them. 😤

06/11/2026

Why we ear tip! ✂️🙉

SHE'S HOME!! 🙌🎉🙏😸MISSING CAT - PLEASE HELP LOOK FOR POPPY 💔My sweet girl Poppy is missing from 177 Main Street in West P...
06/10/2026

SHE'S HOME!! 🙌🎉🙏😸

MISSING CAT - PLEASE HELP LOOK FOR POPPY 💔

My sweet girl Poppy is missing from 177 Main Street in West Point, near downtown.
I have not seen her since yesterday morning, which is extremely unusual for her. Poppy is one of my personal cats, and she never misses a meal. She also comes inside every night to sleep and did not come home last night, which has me very worried. She RARELY leaves the house let alone our property, so for her to disappear like this is completely out of character. I'm afraid something may have happened, and I'm asking everyone in the area to please keep an eye out for her.
📍 Last seen: Main Street, West Point (near downtown) 🐱 Name: Poppy 🧡 She is a beautiful long-haired tortoiseshell with large green eyes, NOT ear clipped. If you have seen her, think you may have spotted her, or have her on a security camera, please contact me immediately. Even the smallest sighting could help bring her home. Please check under porches, decks, sheds, garages, wood piles, trees, cars and anywhere a frightened cat might hide. Thank you all so much. I'm pretty devastated and just want my beautiful girl home safe. ❤️🐾🙏

🙃 Well it's has been another incredibly busy few days here at Hopeful Paws Project , and I wanted to share a quick updat...
06/09/2026

🙃 Well it's has been another incredibly busy few days here at Hopeful Paws Project , and I wanted to share a quick update on everything that's happening behind the scenes.

🚕 Yesterday I traveled to Glencoe to begin TNR efforts on a colony located off Three Cent Flat Road. We successfully trapped three adult females that still need to be spayed, and they will be heading to their appointments tomorrow at Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode. They are currently safe here with me, resting comfortably in their traps, well-fed, hydrated, and getting ready for surgery.

The Glencoe colony also has several kittens running around the property. 😐 They are still a little too young for surgery right now, but we are already planning appointments for next month so we can get them all fixed as soon as they are old enough. The property owner is also working on socializing them in hopes that some may be able to find loving homes. 😻

💪 Even more exciting, two of the cats from the Glencoe colony already have jobs lined up! Tomorrow afternoon they will be heading to Mountain Ranch to become working barn cats. Only one of the three females will be returning to the Glencoe property. Since the colony has grown to nearly 40 cats, every placement helps reduce the population, improve the lives of the cats that remain and lessen the financial burden on their caretaker.

😒 Meanwhile, many of you may remember the feral mama cat I've been trying to trap for months. I actually caught her while she was pregnant, but unfortunately one of my traps malfunctioned and she escaped. She disappeared for weeks, and I feared I had missed my chance.

Then a couple of weeks ago she started returning to eat.

Two mornings ago I spotted two kittens with her. Later there were three. By the end of the day there were five! She had finally brought her babies here. 🫠

At 5:30 yesterday morning I looked outside and found all five kittens sleeping in a tiny pile directly on the dirt with no shelter at all. My heart broke for them.

After returning from Glencoe and dropping off Rambo for his veterinary appointment, I immediately set up drop traps. With the help of my wonderful neighbor, we were able to safely catch three of the five kittens. They are now secure and being cared for while I continue working to catch the remaining two kittens and their VERY spicy mama, who lets me know exactly how she feels every time I get near her babies with plenty of growling and hissing. 😸

I currently have 2 kitten traps set near where they have been hiding underneath my house, as well as a big trap near the catio where the kittens are being housed. Hopefully we'll have the whole family safe very soon.

❤️‍🩹 And of course, we are still caring for Rambo. He had his veterinary procedure yesterday, and unfortunately it appears there is a very strong possibility that his tail will need to be amputated in the coming weeks due to the severity of his injury. If you haven't seen his fundraiser update, please scroll back through my page and read his post. Every donation, share, and prayer truly helps.

🙏 Thank you all for following along, supporting these animals, sharing posts, donating when you can, and cheering us on. Some days feel overwhelming, but together we are making a difference one cat at a time.

As always, donations toward veterinary care, trapping supplies, food, and emergency medical expenses are greatly appreciated. 😸🙌❤️‍🩹

Address

West Point, CA

Telephone

+15623328764

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hopeful Paws Project posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Hopeful Paws Project:

Shortcuts

Share