Charles River Alleycats

An amazing volunteer from South Shore Humane Society was told about a mama cat and her tiny kittens living in a basement in Roxbury. Knowing time was of the essence, she quickly reached out to her friend who just happened to be a trapper with Charles River Alleycats—and together, a plan was set in motion.

With care and quick thinking, the tenant who had been looking out for the little family safely scooped up the kittens and placed them into a carrier. They had entered the basement through a hole in the door to be safe from predators and the cold. Then the smart mama hid the family under a tarp inside for even more safety. Meanwhile, Charles River Alleycats successfully trapped the cautious but friendly mama cat, ensuring the whole family could stay together.

From there, everyone made their way to South Shore Humane, where this sweet little family is now safe, warm, and being lovingly cared for in foster.

The family will remain together in foster care until the kittens are old enough to be spayed/neutered and adopted into forever homes.

We’re so grateful for the compassion of the caretaker, the dedication of the volunteers and partnership between and . Because of all of you, this family has a second chance. 🐾💕

It Takes a Village 🐾

When we say rescue is a team sport, this is exactly what we mean.

Multiple people from Charles River Alleycats were alerted to a mama cat and her five tiny kittens in Roxbury. The temperatures were dropping fast, and time was absolutely not on our side.

Two trappers headed out ASAP during the day. They carefully set traps and were able to catch four of the kittens—making sure not to trap mom yet, because the babies were too little to survive without her especially in the cold weather. That left mama and one kitten still outside, with even colder nights ahead.

Because mom and the remaining kitten weren’t showing themselves during the day, another trapper jumped in to help. Night shifts began. After a couple of long, cold nights… success.
First, the kitten was trapped. And just hours later, mama followed. 💙

Along the way, two adult males were also trapped, helping the whole colony in the process.

Thanks to persistence, coordination, sleepless nights, and a whole lot of heart, everyone is now safe, warm, and in the care of Coastal Cat Rescue

This is what happens when people show up for animals who can’t ask for help themselves.
This is rescue.
This is community.
This is why it takes a village. 🐱❤️

Happy Holidays from Charles River Alleycats! 🎄🐾

As the year wraps up, we’re feeling extra grateful—for our amazing supporters, dedicated fosters, generous donors, and of course, the incredible kitties who make everything we do worthwhile. From cozy naps to second chances, every rescue story is a reminder of what community and compassion can do.

Wishing everyone—two-legged and four-legged—a season filled with warmth, love, and plenty of purrs. Thank you for being part of our Alleycats family. 💚🐱✨

👉Looking to make a donation to a good cause?

Through our Donate a Trap Program, you can purchase a humane trap that will be sent directly to Charles River Alleycats so we can save even more homeless cats.

👉Looking to purchase a gift for the person who has everything?

You can donate a trap in honor of a fellow cat lover, making it a truly special and impactful gift that saves lives. 🐱✨

Many times we are unable to help immediately because all of our traps are in use. Having more traps available helps us help more kitties in need.

👉 Click here: https://www.trucatchtraps.com/giftr/registry/view/uid/WV1YC/

🐾 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 #𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, the day the world pauses to celebrate generosity.
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It’s been a big year for us at Charles River Alleycats. So far in 2025, we've already rescued 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟭,𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘀—and 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟲𝟬𝟬 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀, born to abandoned or feral moms with nowhere safe to go.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟱 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀. They had been living in a rat‑infested basement stairwell in Roxbury. After a concerned landlord alerted us, we set up a camera + feeding station to identify them, and within four hours, we trapped all six.
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They were scared, and it was heartbreaking, but with round-the-clock TLC from one of our volunteers, every kitten grew strong and all five have now been adopted (thanks to our wonderful shelter partner, Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society!), and mom continues to slowly warm up with one of our most patient fosters.
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Had no one stepped in, parasites, rats, or starvation would have likely claimed these babies—or they would have grown up outside, unspayed and continuing the cycle.
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🧡 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲.
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Together, we can break the cycle and prevent new generations of outdoor cats from being born into dangerous conditions. And on Giving Tuesday — 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 — we turn to our community to help us say “yes” to the next cats who need us.
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👉 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 via the link in our bio or at https://www.charlesriveralleycats.org/donate
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And if you can’t give today, please 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 or tag someone who loves animals — your share helps us reach the people who want to help.
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𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 for being part of this small but mighty community, and for helping us give vulnerable cats the safety and second chances they deserve. 🐱❤️
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