A Caring Place to Work - Leadership Team Member Cat Adoption Team Employee Review

Cat Adoption Team is the best place I've ever worked. It's a shining example of what company culture can look like when leadership actively promotes and encourages it throughout all levels (even the volunteers!). I was celebrated for my accomplishments, inspired to grow, and supported throughout. The question was never "why haven't you gotten this done yet?" but instead "let's brainstorm ways to make you successful". It's an incredible place to work BECAUSE of management, not in spite of it! Nothing at CAT is "this is how it's always been done so that's just how it's going to stay". They are constantly improving cat care, staff care, efficiency, policies, procedures, etc and every employee is heard and invited to be a part of that. The board is continually re-assessing fair pay and actually understands the importance of it in hiring and retaining great staff. I was always happy with my pay, which increased three times in a year and a half to reflect cost of living and remain competitive. CAT is the gold standard of cat rescue and adoption. Their programs are progressive and hugely beneficial to the community, far beyond just finding homes for 3,000 cats a year. I learned so much that I will carry forward throughout my career. Helping cats is truly the main focus! Not politics or bureaucratic rigmarole or PR or whatever else. It is, at all times, valid to be cuddling a cat while you're at work. The work is rewarding, the organization is amazing, the people are wonderful- really I can't overstate how much I would recommend working for CAT. I am a better employee and person for having done so myself!

Located 30 minutes outside Portland.

Cats cats cats cats cats

There are a lot of amazing, hard working individuals who have worked at CAT over the years, however upper management has no interest in retaining those employees. Management hides behind their work place “culture agreement” to bully their staff members while not holding themselves to the same standards. You can expect an exceptional amount of gaslighting, laughably poor communication, and performance punishment. Lower paid staff are expected to know everything and do everything, and the better you are at it, the more you suffer. They’re passionate about fostering your growth by making you set monthly and annual goals, but once you bend over backwards to meet them, you have nowhere to move up in the organization and will not be adequately compensated for your time, experience, or skill. Management is suddenly obsessed with hiring externally, even when they have shelter associates who have a combined 15 years experience that are absolutely qualified for the higher positions they’re applying for. Shelter Associates in particular are overworked, under paid, and burnt out beyond belief. They have to rely heavily on volunteer support every single day just to get their required daily duties completed, and if a volunteer calls out, you’re screwed. Management never steps in to help, and on the rare occasion they do, you will be met with weaponized incompetence. I truly loved this job until the Executive Director and operations director (who have both been there entirely too long) started running it straight into the ground. Many people are quitting or being pushed to quit. They will cry when you do so and manipulate quite literally every situation they get their paws on. The cats are great!