Cat Pathways Coordinator

Overview

The Cat Pathways Coordinator supports the well‑being, behavioral assessment, and overall shelter experience of cats under the care of Oakland Animal Services (OAS). In partnership with staff and volunteers, the coordinator maintains a holistic understanding of the shelter’s cat population and helps guide decisions that support appropriate outcome pathways. The coordinator also serves as a point of contact for inquiries about community cats and facilitates the working cat adoption program.

During kitten season (typically Spring, Summer, and Fall), the coordinator will focus about 95% of their time on shelter cats. When the kitten/cat population in the shelter is not as high (typically during the winter months), the coordinator will split their time between shelter cats and community cats responsibilities.

• Maintain an overall understanding of the shelter’s current cat population, including behavioral needs, length of stay, medical status, and other considerations.
• Determine appropriate outcome pathways for each cat by leading Animal Review Team meetings and collaborating closely with internal teams.
• Act as a staff liaison for the Cat Crew volunteer team, ensuring shelter policies and protocols are being applied consistently in designing each cat’s individual pathway.
• Perform regular (ideally daily) shelter walk‑throughs to assess the well‑being of all cats, monitor overall population needs, and identify any cats who may need to be moved or need additional attention/support.
• Oversee shelter capacity planning for cats and make intake decisions in collaboration with public service representatives (front desk staff) and in accordance with applicable ordinances and guidelines.
• Assist with coordinating movement of cats within the shelter, delegating tasks to appropriate cat volunteers to assist as needed.
• Ensure that records of animal care, status, and location are accurately reflected in using the shelter database software.

• Conduct behavioral observations and assessments of cats entering or residing in the shelter to determine adoption suitability or need for additional attention.
• Assign an initial volunteer handling level to each cat and regularly assess and adjust their level as needed throughout their stay at the shelter to ensure safe and appropriate interactions.
• Collaborate with and support the adoption team, including ensuring that the handling level assigned to each adoptable cat best reflects the anticipated skill and experience level of a potential adopter.
• Gather and take into consideration staff and volunteer observations (such as via the volunteer community board, forms, or other approaches) to better understand each cat’s personality and behavior. Communicate relevant insights and behavioral changes to staff and volunteers.
• Review and take into consideration owner surrender information.
• Ensure relevant behavior observations, disclosures, and other relevant notes are entered into the shelter database software.
• Maintain a collection of resources that can be provided to staff, fosters, volunteers, and adopters (e.g. handouts, cat behavior resources, etc.).
• Work in close coordination with other team members including shelter management, animal care, veterinary, foster, adoption, and transfer staff, and volunteers.

• Oversee the working cat adoption program, including marketing the program and fielding program inquiries.
• Facilitate working cat adoptions, including matchmaking appropriate pairing of cats with adopters, and providing post‑adoption support as needed for working cats.
• Serve at the point of contact for questions related to community cats/kittens and provide appropriate advice, including advice on spay/neuter options for community cats in consultation with the veterinary team.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with partner organizations who provide support/services for community cats.

• Provide regular reports to OAS and FOAS management regarding program status, successes and challenges.
• Other duties as assigned.

• FOAS Executive Director for employment matters
• OAS/FOAS…