About Us
Tucked away in the piney woods of southeast Texas, Copper's Cat Commune is a nonprofit cat sanctuary dedicated to the lifetime care of a limited population of ill, disabled, immune compromised, senior, or otherwise adoption challenged cats. Outside of the sanctuary we promote Trap Neuter Return (TNR) as the most humane and effective method of managing community cat populations. Additionally, we provide information and resources on TNR, spay/neuter programs, and feline behavior to help more cats stay in their original homes.
While all our cats enjoy the luxury of a safe indoor life, they also have access to enclosed outdoor areas where they can enjoy watching the birds, sunbathing, and bug hunting. We are constantly changing and adapting to suit the needs of our population. All outdoor cat photos on the site are shot in safe, enclosed areas unless otherwise specified - such as TNR colonies.
Who We Are
Matt and Mimi Baker head up the insanity that is living with up to 100 cats. With a strong support team helping with everything from scooping boxes to building enclosures, website work and graphic design, they manage to keep all the cat plates spinning. Mimi is a full-time veterinary technician, feline behaviorist, and certified pet nutritionist. Her connections provide many cost benefits to the Commune. Matt works outside the Commune, but also volunteers his time extensively and remains a favorite of all the cats. While Mimi, Matt and our volunteers keep the Commune running day to day the success of our mission depends on the support of our passionate community of cat enthusiasts and donors. Please consider sponsoring one of our residents or making a one time donation to the Commune.
Copper's Cat Commune is named in loving memory of Copper "Bubba", Mimi's long time companion and soul kitty.
Blog Updates
Stomatitis in cats is a painful and inflammatory condition that affects the mucous membranes of the mouth, particularly the gums and the back of the throat. It is characterized by the inflammation of the oral tissues, and it can be a challenging and chronic condition to manage.
Arthritis in cats, also known as feline osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a common condition that affects the joints, causing pain, inflammation, and a reduction in the cat's mobility. It is more common in older cats, but it can also affect younger ones, especially those with certain predisposing factors.
What happens when the Commune takes in a new cat? How do we know if they will get along with all the other cats? How can we possibly make it work? Managing dozens of cats with different needs and personalities takes care and consideration so here is a look at how we keep new cats feeling comfortable and safe while they adjust to daily Commune life.
Addressing a cat's scratching behavior involves a combination of providing alternatives, using deterrents, and positive reinforcement. Here are some suggestions to help you stop your cat from scratching your furniture:
Addressing inappropriate urination in cats requires a multi-faceted approach, as there can be various reasons why a cat may choose to pee outside the litter box. Here are some steps you can take to address this issue:
Introducing a new cat into your household requires patience, careful planning, and gradual steps to help ensure a smooth transition. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Paraplegic cats are cats who cannot walk with their hind legs. It is a simple enough statement, but it has so much more involvement than that.
Cat paraplegia is usually caused by damage to the spinal nerve. This can happen due to trauma or they can be born that way. Many times if they are born that way, there are other internal issues that will cause an early death. Some make it to adulthood, however, but usually need specialized care for the rest of their lives.
I have an adoring love for all things Halloween - except Pumpkin Spice. Pumpkin spice should be used for pumpkin pies and breads and other baked goods, not every single thing on the planet! Ok, off my soapbox now. But seriously, I adore Halloween! It is far and away my favorite holiday!
Well, so much for skipping this week. That’s not really something I can do after this past weekend. It’s been rough.
Sweet, blind Arya has been battling her circling issues. John and Julia reduced her steroids to once daily as instructed, and in a very short time the circling started up again along with vomiting. Per Dr. Heimlich, they increased the steroids back to twice a day, and started Antivert for dizziness and Cerenia for nausea. It is so important that we get this kid off steroids soon so we can spay her! Steroids hamper healing in a big way. Her story is far from over.
The Veterinary Review for this week has a bit more punch than last week’s report.
There really isn’t much to say this week. All we did as far as vet visits are concerned was our routine acupuncture visit on Tuesday with Jason and Ferrell Brown, and a vaccine update visit for Professor X.
This week we had a bit more going on. Aries has shown signs of a bladder infection, so I gave him an antibiotic shot about two weeks ago. I wanted to take him in based on his history with bladder stones and have him x-rayed for stones and his urine checked for crystals. We went in on Monday.
This week’s Veterinary Review covers a little bit of visiting and a lot of bloodwork results.
Roscoe went to the vet on Friday because we noticed he had some pretty bad irritation down on and around his private parts.
It has been a somewhat busy week at the vet for the Commune. We dropped off Miss Piggy on Tuesday morning and then did a big six cat visit on Tuesday afternoon. It took up our vet’s entire afternoon. We had C3Po, Ferrell Brown, Bumble, Cadeuceus, Triton, and Grady.
Another 2 weeks has passed, this time because of a giant ice storm that hit Texas and wiped our internet out - as well as prevented any vet visits for a week! Here’s the recap since the last post, however.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do they all have names?
Of course!
How do you remember them all?
We just do. Remember in most cases each cat is introduced one at a time, so we get to know them individually quite well.
How do you handle everything?
With a lot of work and phenomenal volunteers. We couldn't do it without them.
How do you pay for all that?
We can’t do it alone. Our fabulous donors keep the lights on and the food bowls full, but in rescue, tomorrow is never guaranteed. Can you give a Commune Cat another day of their best life? Donate here or explore other ways you can help.
Special needs. The online dictionary only comes up with a definition regarding the education of children. That being said, our definition of special needs has to be what is pertinent to the Commune. Here, special needs cats are any cats who are adoption challenged, usually through health or behavior concerns.
Here are some brief examples of the types of special needs cats we care for here at Copper’s Cat Commune. There will be more extensive posts about each type coming soon.